They have nothing on her, but want to post news about her. So.. recycled is the only way to go. :o:rolleyes:

But they should recycle real news ,no need for making up things :o :o
If i didn`t know english i would probably read that article and think Ana really said that :o And then i would be very surprised (not in a pleasant way) when i see her play in Brisbane :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 13th, 2009, 11:32 PM

But they should recycle real news ,no need for making up things :o :o
If i didn`t know english i would probably read that article and think Ana really said that :o And then i would be very surprised (not in a pleasant way) when i see her play in Brisbane :lol:

Well.. I'm pretty sure Ana will come up in Brisbane saying her preparations went great, even if she sucks her way out of the tournament in the first round. :shrug: Isn't that what she always says anyways? :o

jelenacg

Dec 13th, 2009, 11:37 PM

Well.. I'm pretty sure Ana will come up in Brisbane saying her preparations went great, even if she sucks her way out of the tournament in the first round. :shrug: Isn't that what she always says anyways? :o

:lol:
And yes you`re right

MM_1257

Dec 14th, 2009, 08:02 PM

No, that article deffinitely is not new. They re-wrote the quotes. wait until New Year, Novosti like to do one to one interview with Ana at the end of the year. Maybe she will gove them some info, if she will want. She had some very sincere interviews with them last year and this year when she was in Belgrade.

Cp6uja

Dec 15th, 2009, 12:03 AM

Serbian sport press is best sport press in the world!

Amelie Mauresmo retire from active tennis so Ana move from #22 to #21 today. But titles in some Serbian media is: Ana continue with improvement... Ana is better and better - despite she not played any single match since september :haha::haha:

When she lifted the French Open trophy in June 2008, Ana Ivanovic was billed as women’s tennis’ new sweetheart.

Since then however, injury troubles and a drop in form have seen the 22-year-old Serbian slip down the rankings, and off the radar.

Ivanovic herself admits she is in need of a rest and has put her drop in form partly down to “thinking about everything too much”.

“At the moment I feel like I have a plan in place and I know what I have to do in each area of my game,” she told ACE Tennis magazine.

“I think I’ve been thinking about everything too much and trying to address lots of issues with my game, but just at the moment I think it’s a little unbalanced.”

“My fitness is at one level, my mind at another and my game is at yet another. I think that all of these things have to fit together so that you can go in the right direction,” she added.

Since picking up a thumb injury that ruled her out of the Beijing Olympics last year, the failure to replicate the success found on the clay courts of Paris is one she puts down to confidence — or rather a lack of it.

“Confidence is a strange thing. Once you have it, you think you can never lose it, but once you lose it, you think you’ll never get it back.”

“I feel very confident when I’m practising, but then when I start playing competitively it’s a little bit different. Many times when I’m in a good position, I just don’t trust myself like I did before.”

Ranked at No.22 in the world and with the first Grand Slam of 2010 a little over a month away, Ivanovic is currently enjoying a break before attempting to climb back up the rankings next year.

“I feel happy that we have a good off-season this year, so I have more time to completely switch off. I haven’t had a proper holiday in years.”

Tennis player Ana Ivanovic recently, as we found out, bought a flat of 100 square meters in an exclusive facility Savograd "which is being built in New Belgrade, a luxury apartment cost about 400,000 euros.

In block 20, in New Belgrade, is currently building a residential-commercial complex Savograd "between Hyatt and the building of" Delta Holding ". Apartment in part of 2200 square meters is designed as a separate building of 11 floors with five apartments of different squaring each floor, and the size of 70 to 220 square meters. In these saloons were built with an impressive view of the New and Old Belgrade and the River. As a special curiosity is designed tower with deluxe residential area of superior size and standpoints. The building will have a reception, security and video surveillance 24 hours, each apartment will have several parking spaces, and all will be equipped with a top. Works are in the final stage, and Ana's parents, Dragana and Miroslav have already started with the interior decoration for your daughter.

http://www.blic.rs/zabava.php?id=125644

-NAJ-

Dec 16th, 2009, 12:34 AM

gaviotabr, i didn't see that you post that here, sorry

gaviotabr

Dec 16th, 2009, 12:37 AM

gaviotabr, i didn't see that you post that here, sorry

Don't worry.. ;) :hug:;)

дalex

Dec 16th, 2009, 12:27 PM

Can I ask why you post in Ana's forum?

I don't have a problem that you do and I don't think anyone else does, but it's a little strange you post in a players forum of your most disliked player :confused:

It would be strange if I actually disliked her, but I don't. I kinda did when she beat Jelena in that famous RG semi, but that was more for the fun of fanbases' war that was going on at the time.

Thanks Alex. But this is an article of only recycled quotes.. we were just talking about it on the last page of the thread.

It only appeared yesterday on a Serbian portal and they made it look like it was her latest interview (Serbian media :rolleyes:), so I looked for an English version and posted it.

gaviotabr

Dec 16th, 2009, 12:55 PM

It only appeared yesterday on a Serbian portal and they made it look like it was her latest interview (Serbian media :rolleyes:), so I looked for an English version and posted it.

Yeah.. Jelena had posted the serbian version of it the page before this one, and we were talking about how it was all recycled news and serbian press had no real info.

дalex

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:02 PM

So, has Ana started practicing? Have you found pics or vids of her training in Australia?

gaviotabr

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:06 PM

So, has Ana started practicing? Have you found pics or vids of her training in Australia?

She started practicing around the middle of November in Noosa, close to Brisbane... there is a lot of info, as we got someone who was playing at the same tennis centre for a week to tell us all about it. It's a lot of stuff, all in the mourning thread. There is also one pic. But no real reason to be optimistic.. :sobbing:

Sven Groeneveld and Mats Merkel are with her.. but that's about it. And well.. she has been WAGing as well all this time, so..

дalex

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:17 PM

I only saw the WAGing pics, that's why I asked. :lol:

But the fact she's been training since mid November is a good sign. Anyway, none of us can be optimistic about our faves until we actually see them in action. Can't wait for the AO. :sobbing:

gaviotabr

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:24 PM

I only saw the WAGing pics, that's why I asked. :lol:

But the fact she's been training since mid November is a good sign. Anyway, none of us can be optimistic about our faves until we actually see them in action. Can't wait for the AO. :sobbing:

Well.. but seeing pics of her WAGing 5 hours a day for days and days just makes it harder.. I mean.. how can that be serious practice? And it seems the right shoulder is still bothering her, after a long time without playing.. :sobbing:

I don't know.. I'm not really looking foward to any tournament.. :sobbing:

дalex

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:32 PM

Yeah, Ana's situation is special, but if her shoulder is really troubling her she can't do anything about it but rest it. And where better to rest than on a golf course. :lol: Hopefully she's working in the gym at least.

Will she play in Sydney or did she just enter Brisbane? I wish Jelena entered a smaller tourney. Sidney will be tough.

gaviotabr

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:36 PM

Yeah, Ana's situation is special, but if her shoulder is really troubling her she can't do anything about it but rest it. And where better to rest than on a golf course. :lol: Hopefully she's working in the gym at least.

Will she play in Sydney or did she just enter Brisbane? I wish Jelena entered a smaller tourney. Sidney will be tough.

She entered just Brisbane. I wish Ana would also enter Sydney, she needs matches. She has played only 8 matches for the past 6 months. But I don't think she will.. Brisbane it is.

It seems Ana doesn't even have a fitness coach, so I kind of wonder what kind of fitness preparation and gym work she is doing.. even more so having a bum shoulder.. :rolleyes:

дalex

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:42 PM

She entered just Brisbane. I wish Ana would also enter Sydney, she needs matches. She has played only 8 matches for the past 6 months. But I don't think she will.. Brisbane it is.

It seems Ana doesn't even have a fitness coach, so I kind of wonder what kind of fitness preparation and gym work she is doing.. even more so having a bum shoulder.. :rolleyes:

If Ana loses early in Brisbane it will be a real bad sign for her AO chances. Off course, she'll have some time to fine tune her game before the AO starts. Sydney is different 'cos each round should be tough so even an early loss doesn't have to mean much.

Maybe Adam gives her all the fitness preparation she needs. :hehehe:

gaviotabr

Dec 16th, 2009, 01:47 PM

If Ana loses early in Brisbane it will be a real bad sign for her AO chances. Off course, she'll have some time to fine tune her game before the AO starts. Sydney is different 'cos each round should be tough so even an early loss doesn't have to mean much.

It's not like she has many chances at AO anyway.. but yes, it would be a bad sign.. not only for AO, but for the whole year.. and for her career IMHO. She needs to reverse the downward spiral now. The longer it takes, the harder it is.

Maybe Adam gives her all the fitness preparation she needs. :hehehe:

Thats for sure.. :lol::spit:

bruce goose

Dec 16th, 2009, 02:29 PM

:lol:Well,it looks like I'm in the clear now thanks to 'Alex' and Izzy;I made a joke last year that Ana's only physical fitness training involved shaking heavy bedroom furniture...and someone,I think it was our Jelena,got mad at me for that one...but now you two have joined in on that chorus:hatoff:

SOA_MC

Dec 17th, 2009, 01:36 AM

It would be strange if I actually disliked her, but I don't. I kinda did when she beat Jelena in that famous RG semi, but that was more for the fun of fanbases' war that was going on at the time.

I did swear I saw you name Ana your most disliked player in that "who are your most faves/dislike player" thread but maybe I'm mistaken.

Alot of JJ fans do seem to be cooling down on the Ana dislike, I wonder why :sad:

But yeah I was just curious I didn't mean to attack you or make you feel unwelcome or whatever. You're always welcome to post in Ana's forum :wavey:

дalex

Dec 17th, 2009, 09:55 AM

I did swear I saw you name Ana your most disliked player in that "who are your most faves/dislike player" thread but maybe I'm mistaken.

Alot of JJ fans do seem to be cooling down on the Ana dislike, I wonder why :sad:

But yeah I was just curious I didn't mean to attack you or make you feel unwelcome or whatever. You're always welcome to post in Ana's forum :wavey:

You're not mistaken, I think Ana was fourth on my dislike list this year. :lol: But I have to put someone there so my vote for Jeja would count. :lol:

Since this has been a slow year for Serbian Slumpations, I had time to follow Ana more so I've been posting here more (but not that much really). I don't have to and I certainly don't want to annoy anyone, so if there are people who want me outta here I'll just stop posting. :)

azdaja

Dec 17th, 2009, 11:35 AM

if there are people who want me outta here I'll just stop posting. :)
i don't think people will be bothered by any of jj fans posting here. however, i do feel that those jj fans who thought that posting offensive stuff about ana was cool harmless fun need to own up and live with consequences of that. unfortunately for youse jj has never been seen as that much of a rival by ana fans, so saying offensive stuff about jj would have never been that much of a satisfactory answer. this left jj's fan base as the only legitimate (and incidently totally deserving) target :p but don't worry, i can't imagine this forum being so unpleasant for jj fans as jj forum is for fans of ana :p

on topic (presently ana's career and her bf) i can only say in the manner of our common friend - yo ana, i'm really happy for you and imma let you finnish, but you used to be nr 1 in the world. what happened to that? :confused: :rolleyes:

Nikkiri

Dec 17th, 2009, 11:39 AM

You're not mistaken, I think Ana was fourth on my dislike list this year. :lol: But I have to put someone there so my vote for Jeja would count. :lol:

Since this has been a slow year for Serbian Slumpations, I had time to follow Ana more so I've been posting here more (but not that much really). I don't have to and I certainly don't want to annoy anyone, so if there are people who want me outta here I'll just stop posting. :)

GET OUTTA HERE!!!!!!

:kiss:

дalex

Dec 17th, 2009, 12:34 PM

unfortunately for youse jj has never been seen as that much of a rival by ana fans, so saying offensive stuff about jj would have never been that much of a satisfactory answer. this left jj's fan base as the only legitimate (and incidently totally deserving) target :p but don't worry, i can't imagine this forum being so unpleasant for jj fans as jj forum is for fans of ana :p

Maybe not for you, but I remember a lot of offensiveness from individuals on both sides at that time. Anyway, no one can offend JJ better than her fans themselves. You can try but... :p

GET OUTTA HERE!!!!!!

:kiss:

Want me to spam Kiri chatthread with Jeca gifs? :kiss:

azdaja

Dec 17th, 2009, 01:10 PM

Maybe not for you, but I remember a lot of offensiveness from individuals on both sides at that time. Anyway, no one can offend JJ better than her fans themselves. You can try but... :p
don't be so sure about that :p if i ever decide to play that game you might be surprised :p but i remain so not interested. rivalries between tennis players are so lame when compared to football rivalries. i'm having plenty of fun with that (on other forums).

i think most of the abuse jj got was from serena fans who also happen to like ana. the rivalry has always been disproportionate and ana vs jj h2h record tells you why :angel:

gaviotabr

Dec 17th, 2009, 05:57 PM

on topic (presently ana's career and her bf) i can only say in the manner of our common friend - yo ana, i'm really happy for you and imma let you finnish, but you used to be nr 1 in the world. what happened to that? :confused: :rolleyes:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6324/feet3z.th.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/i/feet3z.jpg/) http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9138/feet4m.th.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/i/feet4m.jpg/)
translating this article would be good practice of protuguese for me, but i doubt i'll have time, so it will be up to you.

but damn, why do i fail to notice my typos before i make a post and only see it when people quote me :rolleyes: i noticed that several times recently.

gaviotabr

Dec 18th, 2009, 03:07 PM

I just found this at Sportski Zurnal. I have no idea if it's anything new or interesting though.. only that it mentions Ana.. :lol:

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3284/sz3k.jpg

-NAJ-

Dec 18th, 2009, 05:20 PM

It's about article from Sports illustrated and their tennis list for 2009(best match, tennis player,comeback...)
Ana is in category "disappointment of the year" on WTA with explanation that 18 months ago she was number one, gs champ, the most charming face on tour. and now she is out of top 20 with only few wins in a row.

It's about article from Sports illustrated and their tennis list for 2009(best match, tennis player,comeback...)
Ana is in category "disappointment of the year" on WTA with explanation that 18 months ago she was number one, gs champ, the most charming face on tour. and now she is out of top 20 with only few wins in a row.Let's look on the bright side:Ana says that she's a perfectionist,so she should be pleased that she was the UNDISPUTED burnout champ in 2009...that she whipped Vaidisova for the #1 spot w/o having to share it....Time to celebrate!!:drink::woohoo::silly::crazy::rocker::b anana::aparty::yippee:

I don't think we had seen the second pic... Does she say anything interesting?

gaviotabr

Dec 18th, 2009, 07:16 PM

It's about article from Sports illustrated and their tennis list for 2009(best match, tennis player,comeback...)
Ana is in category "disappointment of the year" on WTA with explanation that 18 months ago she was number one, gs champ, the most charming face on tour. and now she is out of top 20 with only few wins in a row.

Thanks NAJ!

:sobbing: So depressing.. :sobbing:

jelenacg

Dec 18th, 2009, 10:01 PM

Thanks Jelena!

I don't think we had seen the second pic... Does she say anything interesting?

No :(
She might spend New Year with her family preparing barbecue on the beach :)

gaviotabr

Dec 20th, 2009, 02:41 PM

Just saw this at google news.. humm...

Ana Ivanovic and Adam Scott grow stronger

TENNIS starlet Ana Ivanovic says she and boyfriend Adam Scott would emerge stronger from the most testing seasons of their sporting careers.

Serbian Ivanovic, ranked No. 1 in the world last year, dropped to No. 21 when she wrote off the rest of the season in October due to"over training" earlier in the year.

Ivanovic has been in Australia for more than a month, spending time with Scott at two golf tournaments, including his Australian Open win at the New South Wales Golf Club earlier this month.

Ivanovic said their mutual understanding of the toughest years of their sporting lives had "made us strong".

"We both had a tough year. By coincidence it happened at the same time," said Ivanovic, who has been training on the Sunshine Coast for the past three weeks before the January 3-10 Brisbane International. .

"But we both understand that in the career of a professional athlete there is a time when you face difficulties and things don't go as planned.

"We were together in this and certainly helped each other with understanding and support."

Scott, who is expected to be back in Ivanovic's guest box at the Brisbane International, and the Serbian star met in Noosa last summer at a sponsor's commitment.

Ivanovic is eager to see how she fares in her first tournament in four months.

She has worked hard with Melbourne conditioner Mark McGrath and Sven Groeneveld, the coach who helped her win last year's French Open.

"I'm very motivated to train, after the extended break I had, and I'm excited about my form," Ivanovic said.

"I've worked with Sven on and off for more than three years. He knows me and my game best and we have had the time to work on some technical areas that needed improving, for example my backhand.

"I've enjoyed running through the Noosa National Park again during this trip. "What I enjoy most of all is visiting the beach. I've done some surfing for fun, but I haven't done any training on the beach."

Ivanovic's ranking will have her seeded third in Brisbane, although tournament director Steve Ayles has asked two top-five players, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (No. 3) and Dane Caroline Wozniacki (No. 4), to give him an answer within 48 hours on whether they will accept late entries.

Serbian Ivanovic, ranked No. 1 in the world last year, dropped to No. 21 when she wrote off the rest of the season in October due to"over training" earlier in the year.

Overtraining.. putting on weight? hum... :rolleyes:

"We both had a tough year. By coincidence it happened at the same time," said Ivanovic, who has been training on the Sunshine Coast for the past three weeks before the January 3-10 Brisbane International.

By Coincidence.. or not! :lol::spit:

She has worked hard with Melbourne conditioner Mark McGrath and Sven Groeneveld, the coach who helped her win last year's French Open.

mm.. I wonder where they take that from. If from early news... or if she confirmed it now.. or maybe she worked with McGrath only while she was in Melbourne for fitness training and he didn't go to Noosa.. I'm a bit confused.

"I'm very motivated to train, after the extended break I had, and I'm excited about my form," Ivanovic said.

Ok.. let's try to believe that.. :spit:

"I've worked with Sven on and off for more than three years. He knows me and my game best and we have had the time to work on some technical areas that needed improving, for example my backhand.

This reminded me of one of Noosa guy's post. He said Sven had twicked Ana's BH and she was hitting it big. And now she says she was working on it.. that sounds good. One thing though.. what about the serve? That's like.. what most needs work.

"I've enjoyed running through the Noosa National Park again during this trip. "What I enjoy most of all is visiting the beach. I've done some surfing for fun, but I haven't done any training on the beach."

Surfing with Adam? :lol:

Ivanovic's ranking will have her seeded third in Brisbane, although tournament director Steve Ayles has asked two top-five players, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (No. 3) and Dane Caroline Wozniacki (No. 4), to give him an answer within 48 hours on whether they will accept late entries.

Isn't Wozniacki playing Hong Kong exho? I'm not sure Kuzzy is willing to go too early to Australia. She said in a recent interview she was really looking foward to spending the New Year partying with her friends in Moscow! :lol:

InsideOut.

Dec 20th, 2009, 03:23 PM

"I've worked with Sven on and off for more than three years. He knows me and my game best and we have had the time to work on some technical areas that needed improving, for example my backhand.

Izzy I interpret it as this:
"Sven and I worked with my backhand during the offseason from 07 to 08...and when I came back I had a better backhand than before."

It DOES NOT mean she worked on it this off-season - it's 'we have had' - that could mean any time in the past. :tape:

Curtos07

Dec 20th, 2009, 08:03 PM

She has worked hard with Melbourne conditioner Mark McGrath and Sven Groeneveld, the coach who helped her win last year's French Open.

Please, please, please be true. :bounce: If she has been working with a fitness coach, contrary to what we originally believed, than my optimism goes up for 2010 just a little. I am looking for anything positive at this point.

gaviotabr

Dec 20th, 2009, 10:09 PM

Izzy I interpret it as this:
"Sven and I worked with my backhand during the offseason from 07 to 08...and when I came back I had a better backhand than before."

It DOES NOT mean she worked on it this off-season - it's 'we have had' - that could mean any time in the past. :tape:

:sobbing:

I still think she was refering to these past few weeks though, since they were talking about her preparations for next season. I know "we have had" can mean any time in the past, but we have to look into context.. and the sentence was in the middle of a paragraph mentioning how she had been working in the Sunshine Coast this year.

gaviotabr

Dec 20th, 2009, 10:14 PM

Please, please, please be true. :bounce: If she has been working with a fitness coach, contrary to what we originally believed, than my optimism goes up for 2010 just a little. I am looking for anything positive at this point.

I'm still confused about it.. he clearly wasn't in Noosa with her.. but maybe she worked with him for 2 weeks in Melbourne?

AstuteLearner8

Dec 21st, 2009, 12:13 AM

Let's hope for a new diary entry before 2009 ends! :bounce:

Did she confirm that her boyfriend is Adam Scott yet?

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 12:32 AM

Let's hope for a new diary entry before 2009 ends! :bounce:

Did she confirm that her boyfriend is Adam Scott yet?

Does it really need confirmation? :lol:

And I think she will write a diary for New Year.. she always writes one to close out the year and wish everyone a nice new year.

The 2nd Law

Dec 21st, 2009, 09:03 AM

Wish these articles would stop torturing us, I want word from the horses mouth! :lol:

Davodus

Dec 21st, 2009, 09:45 AM

that article ^^ was in our paper today. I bet they have no idea how much training she has done with McGrath, really :lol: I would assume she did some in Melbourne only. We'll see if he turns up in her box at matches. I'll keep an eye out when I go to the first day of practice here.

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 02:26 PM

that article ^^ was in our paper today. I bet they have no idea how much training she has done with McGrath, really :lol: I would assume she did some in Melbourne only. We'll see if he turns up in her box at matches. I'll keep an eye out when I go to the first day of practice here.

Ok. Yiou have to tell us all about it David!

I also think they don't have much idea about it... she probably worked with Mark McGrath while she was in Melbourne.. but that's hardly much preparation.. :rolleyes:

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 02:28 PM

Ana is on the front page of serbian newspaper Politika. I have no idea what they say though.. :lol:

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9857/politika2.jpg

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7729/politika1.jpg

Davodus

Dec 21st, 2009, 02:37 PM

Ok. Yiou have to tell us all about it David!

I also think they don't have much idea about it... she probably worked with Mark McGrath while she was in Melbourne.. but that's hardly much preparation.. :rolleyes:

I feel the pressure, maybe I should take a notebook and take notes :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 02:52 PM

I feel the pressure, maybe I should take a notebook and take notes :lol:

:lol:

Don't worry! :lol: I most probably won't even be around for it.. :sobbing:

Davodus

Dec 21st, 2009, 02:59 PM

:lol:

Don't worry! :lol: I most probably won't even be around for it.. :sobbing:

You leave on the first of January? Since that is the day I am going to the tennis, you might be able to see something in the morning before you leave ;) you can always check my twitter for updates before you leave too :p

But I'm thinking if I see Ana practice I will just take a few vids, so everyone can see what is going on.

bruce goose

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:02 PM

By Coincidence.. or not! :lol::spit:

:worship:How wonderful to have our prestigious,lovely mayor:hearts: aligned with me on this one:p

I realize that this isn't as empirically factual as a scientific,chemical reaction,but common sense tells us that there is almost SURELY a connection when someone's character noticeably declines--just,'by coincidence'--starting from when his/her relationship begins.

We still saw traces of the old Ana when Nando was around...even a brief resurgence at Zurich-Linz 2008(a LEGIT illness:sad: sidetracked Ana at YEC).I can't help thinking that he encouraged her somehow...even in a subtle way.He's no brain surgeon;),of course,but he pro'bly just told her something like,"Don't worry so much on court...just try your best and go for your shots...even if you lose,just do the things that you do best..."

....Yet we've seen nothing but crap tennis since A.S. came along(except for Fed Cup and the Stosur match...SORT OF);in contrast,Venus served her tail off at Zurich 2008--even by HER standards--and Ana STILL almost beat her...and then we had Wimbledon 2009 where Venus used Ana as a punching bag for practice purposes...and Ana simply QUIT once she had some leg soreness--pro'bly a cramp--that she could use to milk some sympathy from the media...who focused solely on the 'serious leg injury':rolleyes: and conveniently ignored how Ana was totally outclassed during the match.At least THAT worked for Ana:Nobody bothered to ask her how 'miraculously' her leg recovered and allowed her to walk for miles on the golf course a few days later......Let's see if 2010 can prove my suspicions wrong....AJDE ANA!!:bounce::bounce:

I heard today that Ana`s grandfather was chief of some big hospital in Belgrade .I don`t know if that`s true but i remember some article which was saying something about how her family wasn`t poor,referring to her grandparents

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:06 PM

You leave on the first of January? Since that is the day I am going to the tennis, you might be able to see something in the morning before you leave ;) you can always check my twitter for updates before you leave too :p

But I'm thinking if I see Ana practice I will just take a few vids, so everyone can see what is going on.

Yes, I leave January 1st. I'll probably leave home about 9 am, so I'll check the forum before that.. :)

Great David! I hope to catch up with videos, pics, news and everything when I get back! :)

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:09 PM

Nothing new ,Ana the most beautiful athlete in the world
But she looks good on that photo :hearts:

I heard today that Ana`s grandfather was chief of some big hospital in Belgrade .I don`t know if that`s true but i remember some article which was saying something about how her family wasn`t poor,referring to her grandparents

Hey Jelena!

:lol: Ana everywhere! It's mostly the quotes from the australian newspaper right?

I'm sure Ana's family wasn't poor.. I mean.. mom a lawyer, dad a business man.. that can't be poor. They were probably middle class. And in times of war were struggling a bit like everybody else. Either way, a tennis career demands a whole lot of money, so no wonder they went seeking for someone to fund it.

Davodus

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:15 PM

Yes, I leave January 1st. I'll probably leave home about 9 am, so I'll check the forum before that.. :)

Great David! I hope to catch up with videos, pics, news and everything when I get back! :)

I'll do my best ;) I want to get a photo with Ana, but it will be impossible :lol: damn her popularity

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:22 PM

I'll do my best ;) I want to get a photo with Ana, but it will be impossible :lol: damn her popularity

:lol: Don't lose hope! I"m sure she won't be surrounded by crowds all the time.. :lol:

Davodus

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:27 PM

:lol: Don't lose hope! I"m sure she won't be surrounded by crowds all the time.. :lol:

she really is :lol: :o maybe since it is new years day, people will be too tired/dead and not show up to the tennis :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:29 PM

she really is :lol: :o maybe since it is new years day, people will be too tired/dead and not show up to the tennis :lol:

Yes! And then you can have your chance! :D

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:35 PM

Hey Jelena!

:lol: Ana everywhere! It's mostly the quotes from the australian newspaper right?

I'm sure Ana's family wasn't poor.. I mean.. mom a lawyer, dad a business man.. that can't be poor. They were probably middle class. And in times of war were struggling a bit like everybody else. Either way, a tennis career demands a whole lot of money, so no wonder they went seeking for someone to fund it.

Yes :rolls::rolls:

I know Ana wasn`t poor but still i didn`t know her grandfather was that `important` person

A bit :lol: Sorry i just have to :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:41 PM

Yes :rolls::rolls:

I know Ana wasn`t poor but still i didn`t know her grandfather was that `important` person

Oh! Me neither.. we really haven't had much insight into her family. They seem very private people..

A bit :lol: Sorry i just have to :lol:

:lol: Sorry! :lol:

InsideOut.

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:43 PM

Ok. Yiou have to tell us all about it David!

I also think they don't have much idea about it... she probably worked with Mark McGrath while she was in Melbourne.. but that's hardly much preparation.. :rolleyes:

Maybe Mark taught her the moves and told them to videotape her fitness exercises so he could check on her? :scratch: *clutches at straws*

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 03:47 PM

Oh! Me neither.. we really haven't had much insight into her family. They seem very private people..

:lol: Sorry! :lol:

True,they are very private people
Don`t worry i just found it very funny :lol:

bruce goose

Dec 21st, 2009, 04:47 PM

True,they are very private people
Don`t worry i just found it very funny :lol:It doesn't surprise me on elittle bit;Ana never struck me as a girl who grew up in poverty...she seems almost accustomed to the Jet Set,as if she couldn't survive any other way.It takes a lot of the sentimental luster off her practicing-in-the-swimming pool story,but she's still a Sweetie:angel:...the Authorities agree:p

Guess no one was too concerned about my safe travel:lol:....Baltimore had its worst snowfall in recorded history,more than 18 inches stacked up in my mom's yard!!!Not too far from her house,a guy skidded off the road...then foolishly got out and checked out his car from that SAME spot in the roadway...and then was killed when ANOTHER passing car skidded and plowed right into him....May the Lord rest his foolish soul

Can't wait to hear any on-site reports from Anapolis residents;what an awesome start to the tennis year it would be if Ana shocked me/us with solid play:cool:....I'd take that as a positive omen for 2010

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 05:25 PM

It doesn't surprise me on elittle bit;Ana never struck me as a girl who grew up in poverty...she seems almost accustomed to the Jet Set,as if she couldn't survive any other way.It takes a lot of the sentimental luster off her practicing-in-the-swimming pool story,but she's still a Sweetie:angel:...the Authorities agree:p

Guess no one was too concerned about my safe travel:lol:....Baltimore had its worst snowfall in recorded history,more than 18 inches stacked up in my mom's yard!!!Not too far from her house,a guy skidded off the road...then foolishly got out and checked out his car from that SAME spot in the roadway...and then was killed when ANOTHER passing car skidded and plowed right into him....May the Lord rest his foolish soul

Can't wait to hear any on-site reports from Anapolis residents;what an awesome start to the tennis year it would be if Ana shocked me/us with solid play:cool:....I'd take that as a positive omen for 2010

I don`t see why :shrug:
If her grandfather was a chief of the hospital it doesn`t mean he was rich or anything like that.It only shows he is/was an educated man
Things were different at that time and especially in Serbia(Yugoslavia )

This reminded me of some thread in GM :lol:
Someone accused Ana of being a liar bc he/she discovered there are real tennis courts in Serbia besides swimming pool :lol::lol:
That thread was epic :spit:
Human stupidity is endless :o
And about your travel ,you are grown man Bruce .I`m sure you`ll be fine :)

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:02 PM

From tomorrow's Courier Mail:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/5618/courier1.jpg

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:04 PM

Let's see if she did indeed learn from it.. it's extremely important to deal well with disappointment and frustration.. that's why they say a tennis player needs to have short memmory.

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:20 PM

Let's see if she did indeed learn from it.. it's extremely important to deal well with disappointment and frustration.. that's why they say a tennis player needs to have short memmory.

I hope so ,I want to see some improvement

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:23 PM

I hope so ,I want to see some improvement

Yes, me too. Especially a brand new and improved mindset and attitude. I always take Ana's words with a bit of caution, since she can be positive to the press and a complete mess to herself though. So.. I'm going to wait and see how she presents herself next year. Hopefully she does show improvement.

bruce goose

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:35 PM

I don`t see why :shrug:
If her grandfather was a chief of the hospital it doesn`t mean he was rich or anything like that.It only shows he is/was an educated man
Things were different at that time and especially in Serbia(Yugoslavia )

This reminded me of some thread in GM :lol:
Someone accused Ana of being a liar bc he/she discovered there are real tennis courts in Serbia besides swimming pool :lol::lol:
That thread was epic :spit:
Human stupidity is endless :o
And about your travel ,you are grown man Bruce .I`m sure you`ll be fine :)Well,like I said,it doesn't make much difference to me either way,Jelena;I only meant that certain papers go for the dramatic angle by acting as though Ana were some poor peasant who only had swimming pools to hit in due to her dire poverty.That's not ANA'S fault,of course,but the preceding stories suggest that this was far from the truth.Again,Ana may not have been RICH,but she certainly has her materialistic side to her with how she craves her shopping toys;I'd guess that she grew up with that somewhat.What bothers me most is her alliance with UNICEF.I'm not really that upset with Ana cuz I'm sure she feels that she's doing some good somehow;I just wish she did her homework a little more thoroughly,as this would show her clearly that the parent org.,the UN,makes millions in profit EVERY YEAR from the murder of children.Those photo-ops are nothing but disgraceful shams on the UN's part,and they use our lovely Ana as a cover girl for their charades.

As for the travel,Jelena,I didn't want you to worry about me,per se(even though it WAS hazardous for many,including that poor sucker who died in that accident:o));a simple 'welcome back' would've been enough:p...but you've given me that with your post above:):wavey:.......The Mayor was too busy to greet me,of course...plus she needs to learn that 'memory' only has 2 'M's:p

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:39 PM

The Mayor was too busy to greet me,of course...plus she needs to learn that 'memory' only has 2 'M's:p

Welcome back Bruce! :lol:

:hug:

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:43 PM

Yes, me too. Especially a brand new and improved mindset and attitude. I always take Ana's words with a bit of caution, since she can be positive to the press and a complete mess to herself though. So.. I'm going to wait and see how she presents herself next year. Hopefully she does show improvement.

I know,me too :o
We won`t know anything until Brisbane or until Davodus give us some info :lol: but we can hope

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 06:50 PM

I know,me too :o
We won`t know anything until Brisbane or until Davodus give us some info :lol: but we can hope

We can only hope.. and wait.. :sobbing:

I plan on reading everything when I get back from my trip, so I hope to have a lot to read.. a lot of great things to read from Brisbane! :sobbing:

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:06 PM

We can only hope.. and wait.. :sobbing:

I plan on reading everything when I get back from my trip, so I hope to have a lot to read.. a lot of great things to read from Brisbane! :sobbing:

I understand how you feel :)
When i was in Barcelona and i couldn`t watch Fed Cup i said to myself i won`t ask anyone about the result until i come home .But on Sunday i couldn`t resist and i send my mother SMS asking her how it finished :lol:
I also hope you`ll have some good news to read when you get back

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:11 PM

I understand how you feel :)
When i was in Barcelona and i couldn`t watch Fed Cup i said to myself i won`t ask anyone about the result until i come home .But on Sunday i couldn`t resist and i send my mother SMS asking her how it finished :lol:
I also hope you`ll have some good news to read when you get back

I wish I had someone to ask how things are going.. :sobbing: I doubt my grandparents are internet savy enough to be able to check it out.. :sobbing:

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:26 PM

I wish I had someone to ask how things are going.. :sobbing: I doubt my grandparents are internet savy enough to be able to check it out.. :sobbing:

:lol:
You can always go to some internet caffe and see the result.
Maybe it`s for the best not to know anything ;)
I`m not sure if i`ll watch any match. :sad: We`ll only have live streams and her matches will start at 3 am my time so it`ll be horrible :tape:

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:30 PM

:lol:
You can always go to some internet caffe and see the result.
Maybe it`s for the best not to know anything ;)
I`m not sure if i`ll watch any match. :sad: We`ll only have live streams and her matches will start at 3 am my time so it`ll be horrible :tape:

Yes.. maybe it's for the best.. I doubt my mom would be amused if I spend money surfing the internet for tennis results while in a trip in Europe. :lol: Maybe if I get internet at the hotel..

I love the Aussie summer.. I'm always on holidays so I can spend the whole night watching tennis without anyone bothering me.. :lol:

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:39 PM

Yes.. maybe it's for the best.. I doubt my mom would be amused if I spend money surfing the internet for tennis results while in a trip in Europe. :lol: Maybe if I get internet at the hotel..

I love the Aussie summer.. I'm always on holidays so I can spend the whole night watching tennis without anyone bothering me.. :lol:

:lol:
I also love AO but if i`m going to get up at 3am to watch tennis i don`t want to stare at small screen :(

bruce goose

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:39 PM

Welcome back Bruce! :lol:

:hug:Hi,Izzy:):hug:...you and Jelena have touched on that difficult balance with Ana's matches whenever they occur in an inconvenient time zone for us......To stay up...or NOT To stay up,THAT is the question....All poets please forgive me for the Shakespeare rip-off:angel:....Can't even remember if that was Hamlet or Macbeth:o....Think it was the Dane

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:45 PM

:lol:
I also love AO but if i`m going to get up at 3am to watch tennis i don`t want to stare at small screen :(

So true.. we do some crazy stuff sometimes.. like waking up at dawn to watch livescores.. :lol:

Hi,Izzy:):hug:...you and Jelena have touched on that difficult balance with Ana's matches whenever they occur in an inconvenient time zone for us......To stay up...or NOT To stay up,THAT is the question....All poets please forgive me for the Shakespeare rip-off:angel:....Can't even remember if that was Hamlet or Macbeth:o....Think it was the Dane

:lol:

Oh.. to be a tennis fan.. and Ana fan! :lol:

jelenacg

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:53 PM

So true.. we do some crazy stuff sometimes.. like waking up at dawn to watch livescores.. :lol:

Yes :tape:
We are crazy :cuckoo: but i guess you have to be a little bit :cuckoo: if you are Ana`s fan :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:55 PM

Yes :tape:
We are crazy :cuckoo: but i guess you have to be a little bit :cuckoo: if you are Ana`s fan :lol:

So true! :sobbing:

Curtos07

Dec 21st, 2009, 07:58 PM

"Actually, I'm feeling confident already because of the improvements I've seen on the practice court."

When have I heard this before....? :lol: Well, I fully expected her to say that, but I don't quite believe her, until I see results in matches. Match play is a totally different beast than practice.

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 08:09 PM

When have I heard this before....? :lol: Well, I fully expected her to say that, but I don't quite believe her, until I see results in matches. Match play is a totally different beast than practice.

Yes.. in matches she has to deal with nerves and with all other emotions that she doesn't have to deal with in practices. And that is a big challenge. We will only really know how things are when she plays in Brisbane.

AstuteLearner8

Dec 21st, 2009, 08:11 PM

Hi,Izzy:):hug:...you and Jelena have touched on that difficult balance with Ana's matches whenever they occur in an inconvenient time zone for us......To stay up...or NOT To stay up,THAT is the question....All poets please forgive me for the Shakespeare rip-off:angel:....Can't even remember if that was Hamlet or Macbeth:o....Think it was the Dane

:lol: It's from Hamlet ;). I had to read both plays in English :o

Have fun in Europe Izzy! :)

gaviotabr

Dec 21st, 2009, 08:16 PM

:lol: It's from Hamlet ;). I had to read both plays in English :o

Have fun in Europe Izzy! :)

Thanks! :)

Mixo

Dec 21st, 2009, 09:29 PM

I hope you bring some coats, Isa. xDD It's freezing cold in Madrid, these are pics from the city today:

I hope you bring some coats, Isa. xDD It's freezing cold in Madrid, these are pics from the city today:

I want to be theeereeee!!! I've never seen snow.

OMG! I'm so gonna freeze! :lol:

You have never seen snow? The first time I saw snow was at Christmas once in NY. I was 15. It was so beautiful.. :lol: We were travelling in a group, and we were having dinner in a Pizza Hut. :lol: It started snowing and we saw it from the window.. in 5 seconds all the brazilian people who were inside the restaurant had gone out to watch the snow fall.. American people walking by looked at us like we were crazy.. :lol: But it was magical.. it's really nice. :)

A week and a half will go so quickly, soon we will all be seeing for ourselves whether or not the aussie summer will be a happy one.

Have a good trip Izzy! I'll be going away as well, on Boxing Day until the new year :)
I'm not sure if I'll post again before Christmas (I probably will :lol:) but just in case: a safe and merry christmas and a safe and happy new year to everyone!

While Kim Clijsters will no doubt again be warmly welcomed back as she continues her incredible comeback, another tennis ace wants to become an adopted Australian - starting at the upcoming Brisbane International.

Indeed former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic reckons "Aussie Ana" has a real ring to it.

"Yeah, I would be okay with being called that," she laughed.

The Serbian glamour girl has not exactly been snubbed by Australian crowds in the past.

But her popularity is expected to soar even further Down Under after hooking up with local golfer Adam Scott.

And it sounds like the feeling is mutual.

So much so that she will be spending Christmas and the New Year on Queensland's Sunshine Coast with the Ivanovic and Scott families as she battles back from her worst year yet.

"I really love it here, I always look forward to playing here," Ivanovic said on the Sunshine Coast today.

"The crowd is very warm, and they are very knowledgeable about tennis.

"I had great support last time when I made the (Australian Open) finals.

"I hope I can perform well again and get that crowd support again."

Support is something Ivanovic has needed plenty of in 2009.

After enjoying No.1 status this year, Ivanovic fell to 21st by the time she succumbed to injuries from "over training" in October.

In all, it was a "very frustrating" year for Ivanovic - at least her new beau could understand.

Coincidentally Scott also had a shocker - but Ivanovic said they would both emerge "stronger" from the experience.

"We both had a hard year I suppose, but we really support each other," she said.

"And it's great to have another person in the stands knowing what you are going through without words being spoken.

"That helped me get through it."

And Scott - Ivanovic was on course when he bounced back big time by taking out the Australian Open recently.

Ivanovic is not predicting immediate success in her first tournament in four months - the Brisbane International (January 3-10).

But already feels as though she has accomplished a lot.

"It wasn't easy but still I learned a lot, it made me a lot stronger," she said of her horror year.

"You realise when you are on a winning run you maybe take it for granted.

"I think I start to appreciate it a bit more.

"I know now I will never let myself got down that far again with injuries - I know how to prevent them in the future."

Reuniting with the coach who helped guide her to the 2008 French Open victory - Sven Groeneveld - has helped her refocus for what looms as a big 2010.

"I have got the right people now who are going to help me get on track," she said.

"My fitness is coming together, I have a great team around me at the moment.

"I would love to win another grand slam but I am looking at the big picture.

"AUSSIE Ana" Ivanovic has put her trust in a veteran tennis coach who she says understands how to work with women and a conditioning coach who is her third in 12 months as she plans her summer of redemption.

Ivanovic has been training at her Sunshine Beach base with her former coach Sven Groenefeld, who has a client resume also including a young Roger Federer, Michael Stich, Mary Pierce, Fernando Verdasco and Caroline Wozniacki.

The prospective third seed for the Brisbane International, which starts on Sunday week, said her association with Melbourne conditioner Mark McGrath, who formerly worked with Olympic athlete Cathy Freeman, had ended after only two weeks and she had enlisted Damian Prasad, who had been with the Australian Institute of Sport tennis program.

During a 2009 season in which injuries and illness drove her ranking out to No. 21, the Serbian right-hander stopped working with Scott Byrnes, the Australian conditioner who helped her, along with Groenefeld, to her 2008 French Open title during a three-year stint.

The former world No. 1, who blames injuries from "over-training" for her slide, believes changing times for her off the court will translate to better fortunes and a return to the top 10 in 2010.

"It's great to have someone like Sven, so knowledgeable about women's tennis," said Ivanovic, who will be having Christmas at a Sunshine Beach house with boyfriend Adam Scott, some family members and her off-court team.

"It's different working with the girls to the guys. It helps that he knows me that well that he understands what I'm going through, even without me expressing myself so much. We went through a lot of good and bad times together and he still has a lot of things to teach me.

"I worked with (McGrath in November) for a couple of weeks in Melbourne - now I have a new fitness coach. I feel I have the right people now who are going to help me get back on the right track and I'm looking forward to the tournaments now.

"Brisbane is a great place to start. I'm going out without expectations but know that I can reach far."

Ivanovic, 21, said she understands publicity surrounding her relationship with Scott would make her even more popular at her two Australian tournaments and admits she will have to arrange a "few tickets" for him to watch her Brisbane International matches.

"I really loved it here and have been saying it for years - the crowds are very warm and knowledgeable about tennis," she said.

Ivanovic said she was excited by the prospect of posting a first win over Justine Henin, who is making her comeback in Brisbane from a brief retirement.

"She's an amazing player, definitely one of the toughest opponents - I have not beaten her yet," she said.

Ivanovic said she knew better how to minimise injuries as a result of her experiences this year. "I need to work smarter," she said.

HER relationship with golfer Adam Scott is in full swing so tennis star Ana Ivanovic is just fine being called "Aussie Ana".

Just as Kim Clijsters became an adopted Australian during her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt, Ivanovic said she would consider it an honour to be treated in the same affectionate way.

"I really love it here and I've been saying that for years," the Serbian, 22, said as she took time away from her Sunshine Coast training base yesterday to pose with fur seals and sea lions at Mooloolaba's Underwater World.

"Every time I look forward to playing here. The crowd is very warm and they are very knowledgeable about tennis and they are great supporters of tennis.

"So it's a lot of fun to play here. I had great support last year when I reached the final and I hope to feel that support again."

Ivanovic also has about two dozen relatives residing in Melbourne, but that number quadruples when the passionate Serbian fans start filling the stands at her matches.

But this time there will be a special Australian fan cheering for her, newly crowned Australian Open champion Scott.

"I think I will need a few tickets for him," said Ivanovic, when asked if Scott would be courtside during her first Australian tennis assignment, the Brisbane International (January 3-10). After all, Ivanovic supported Scott in Sydney during his Open win and at the Australian PGA at Coolum.

"I'll be spending Christmas with my family and Adam's family up here on the Sunshine Coast. I think it's great to have family here and spend it with them. Just relax and go to the beach. I'll have Christmas Day off from tennis."

Ivanovic's parents, Miroslav and Dragana, plus younger brother Milos, have arrived from Belgrade and were on hand yesterday to watch her being kissed by Groucho, the eight-year-old fur seal..

Ivanovic endured a tough time for most of her 2009 season when a variety of injuries forced her off the WTA tour for the whole of April and July and then brought a premature end to her year in October. She was ranked No 1 in June 2008, but is currently No 21.

"It wasn't an easy year but I learned a lot," she said.

"I just want to focus on the big picture now and get lots of matches in. I just want competition. I really missed it. I want to go in (to Brisbane) without expectations but I know if I perform well I can reach the final."

She was also quick to praise Scott for his input during her rough trot on the tennis court.

"We really supported each other. It's great to have another athlete with you, who knows what you're going through without any words spoken."

Ivanovic reached the quarter-finals last January before Amelie Mauresmo stopped her progress. If Ivanovic crashes out early next year, she will ask for a wild-card into the Sydney International (January 10-31) before the Australian Open starts on January 18.

She coped well with the sultry Queensland summer conditions yesterday.

"I think this is the fifth year that I've come early to Australia to prepare. I'm fine with the heat although the humidity can be a bit hard."

Ivanovic split with her Australian trainer-conditioner Scott Byrnes this year and is now under the guidance of former Australian Institute of Sport pro-tour program conditioner, Damien Prassad.

He finished up at the AIS last Sunday and has worked full-time with Ivanovic since.

PLAYFUL tennis star Ana Ivanovic almost blushed when a young Australian from the Sunshine Coast covered her in kisses at Mooloolaba.

While Groucho the 210kg Australian fur seal fawned all over the glamorous tennis pro at UnderWater World, her boyfriend Australian golfer Adam Scott, was nowhere to be seen.

But not for long.

Ivanovic said she would be spending Christmas "with my family and Adam's family" on the Sunshine Coast, before attacking the Brisbane International tennis tournament from January 3.

The pair have been spending the past few weeks together on the coast.

The talented Serb, ranked the world's best female player during 2008, lost during the quarter-finals at last year's inaugural Brisbane International.

She claimed her preparation last year involved a lot of running, often through Noosa's national parks, but this year she has placed more emphasis on match practice as she recovers from a recent injury.

The Brisbane International at Tennyson was a huge hit last year for Queensland tennis fans, where Serbian Novak Djokovic was the main drawcard.

Drawcards in the women's draw this year include former world No. 1s Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters and Ivanovic.

Popular American Andy Roddick is expected to be the men's top seed and he will be joined by world No. 12 Gael Monfils.

THE only male not hanging on the every word of the stunning Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanovic at UnderWater World yesterday was a 210kg fur seal called Groucho.

But it didn’t stop him from laying a few very wet ones on the statuesque 22-year-old, who is spending Christmas on the Sunshine Coast with her equally presentable boyfriend, golfer Adam Scott.

After some obvious initial trepidation and an unfortunate slap in the face from her slippery new friend, Ana cosied up and delivered her trademark megawatt smile to the recently slimmed down and in-demand ladies man Groucho.

“It was fine ... the big one was a little scary though,” she said of the kisses she received from her erratic some-time admirer.

I wonder what happened between Ana and Mark McGrath? Fired after only two weeks? WOW :confused:

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 04:40 PM

Christmas came a little early for us Ana KADs. :lol:

I wonder what happened between Ana and Mark McGrath? Fired after only two weeks? WOW :confused:

She probably didn't like him.. :shrug:

Curtos07

Dec 23rd, 2009, 04:42 PM

She probably didn't like him.. :shrug:

Yeah, he seem too much of a tough guy...not Ana's type. Hopefully this new guy will work out just fine.

Curtos07

Dec 23rd, 2009, 05:23 PM

The one thing I like from what I heard from Ana in these interviews is that she sounds more realistic about her prospects for this year. She wants to win a slam, but she is keeping things in perspective and is looking at the big picture as she said. Top ten should be her goal this year. She won't just get back to the top over night and win Australian Open or even RG or Wimbledon. She is taking it one step at a time. I like that attitude. Sounds different from what she said in the past.

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 05:28 PM

The one thing I like from what I heard from Ana in these interviews is that she sounds more realistic about her prospects for this year. She wants to win a slam, but she is keeping things in perspective and is looking at the big picture as she said. Top ten should be her goal this year. She won't just get back to the top over night and win Australian Open or even RG or Wimbledon. She is taking it one step at a time. I like that attitude. Sounds different from what she said in the past.

Not to mention the USO.. :lol::spit:

But yeah.. I agree with you. She seems very realistic and with her feet on the ground. But she should still keep in mind, as she said, that if she performs well, she can get far in any tournament.

Curtos07

Dec 23rd, 2009, 05:36 PM

Not to mention the USO.. :lol::spit:

But yeah.. I agree with you. She seems very realistic and with her feet on the ground. But she should still keep in mind, as she said, that if she performs well, she can get far in any tournament.

Ana has played so little there, I forgot to mention that. :lol: :sobbing:

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 05:39 PM

Ana has played so little there, I forgot to mention that. :lol: :sobbing:

:lol: She hates Flushing Meadows.. :sobbing:

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 06:18 PM

This is from the printed version of The Herald Sun:

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7321/seal1.jpg

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 06:44 PM

This is from The Courier Mail:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6008/seal4.jpg

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 06:50 PM

But this time there will be a special Australian fan cheering for her, newly crowned Australian Open champion Scott.

"I think I will need a few tickets for him," said Ivanovic, when asked if Scott would be courtside during her first Australian tennis assignment, the Brisbane International (January 3-10). After all, Ivanovic supported Scott in Sydney during his Open win and at the Australian PGA at Coolum.

"I'll be spending Christmas with my family and Adam's family up here on the Sunshine Coast. I think it's great to have family here and spend it with them. Just relax and go to the beach. I'll have Christmas Day off from tennis."

So Adam will be there or not ?:scratch:

I just realized Ana is actually talking about him :eek::lol::hearts:
With Fernando it was like `I don`t like to talk about it,i`m not in love`...

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 06:55 PM

But this time there will be a special Australian fan cheering for her, newly crowned Australian Open champion Scott.

"I think I will need a few tickets for him," said Ivanovic, when asked if Scott would be courtside during her first Australian tennis assignment, the Brisbane International (January 3-10). After all, Ivanovic supported Scott in Sydney during his Open win and at the Australian PGA at Coolum.

"I'll be spending Christmas with my family and Adam's family up here on the Sunshine Coast. I think it's great to have family here and spend it with them. Just relax and go to the beach. I'll have Christmas Day off from tennis."

So Adam will be there or not ?:scratch:

I just realized Ana is actually talking about him :eek::lol::hearts:
With Fernando it was like `I don`t like to talk about it,i`m not in love`...

I think he will be there yes.. :lol:

And it also surprises me to see her speaking so naturally about it.. Especially after she said she wasn't going to talk about her love life anymore, after all the paparazzi frenzy of last year. But well... she must be in love now.. :lol: There is no other way to explain her saying walking on a golf course is fun, and actually doing it for 5 hours a day for so many days.. :lol:

Have you heard the interview from the audio clip? :lol:

bruce goose

Dec 23rd, 2009, 07:07 PM

But this time there will be a special Australian fan cheering for her, newly crowned Australian Open champion Scott.

"I think I will need a few tickets for him," said Ivanovic, when asked if Scott would be courtside during her first Australian tennis assignment, the Brisbane International (January 3-10). After all, Ivanovic supported Scott in Sydney during his Open win and at the Australian PGA at Coolum.

"I'll be spending Christmas with my family and Adam's family up here on the Sunshine Coast. I think it's great to have family here and spend it with them. Just relax and go to the beach. I'll have Christmas Day off from tennis."

So Adam will be there or not ?:scratch:

I just realized Ana is actually talking about him :eek::lol::hearts:
With Fernando it was like `I don`t like to talk about it,i`m not in love`...So what does that mean??That Ana is hitting her magic 'Wisdom Switch' when it comes to relationships??:lol::lol:Unless you can give me a few contrary examples,we can safely say that confused people don't think clearly in ANY aspect of their lives.It's not as if Ana is a psychological mess on court...and in planning her fitness...and in neglecting a stable coaching situation.......and then suddenly,amazingly transforms into this wise fountain of clear thinking in her personal life:haha::haha:

What's embarrassing is that A.Scott is like a male Kournikova in the golf world:he's ZERO threat to less-scrupulous playboy Tiger Woods,has NEVER won a golf major,and is basically just a pretty-faced blow-up doll so that the ultra-boring NON-sport,men's golf,can market itself to a younger,female audience...that's why he has to fabricate his image and pretend to be a Nice Guy who only helps slutty actresses apply sunblock when he has platonic make-out sessions with them on the beach.What makes it so shameful is that Ana,a TRUE Grand Slam champion,has sunk so low that she's known more for being this 2nd-rate playboy's armpiece.....Her tennis success is like a distant memory now,almost a fable,as she's been eclipsed by a Mickey Mouse champ of a swishy,non-athletic diversion

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 07:11 PM

I think he will be there yes.. :lol:

And it also surprises me to see her speaking so naturally about it.. Especially after she said she wasn't going to talk about her love life anymore, after all the paparazzi frenzy of last year. But well... she must be in love now.. :lol: There is no other way to explain her saying walking on a golf course is fun, and actually doing it for 5 hours a day for so many days.. :lol:

Have you heard the interview from the audio clip? :lol:

I did now ,i totally forgot about it :o

She is,also sounds in love :lol:
Well this isn`t really talking about her love life.:lol: But i think she feels more comfortable with all of that now and naturally doesn`t escape that topic like before :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 07:13 PM

I did now ,i totally forgot about it :o

She is,also sounds in love :lol:
Well this isn`t really talking about her love life.:lol: But i think she feels more comfortable with all of that now and naturally doesn`t escape that topic like before :lol:

Maybe yeah.. it was almost something natural.. just not a big deal..

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 07:27 PM

So what does that mean??That Ana is hitting her magic 'Wisdom Switch' when it comes to relationships??:lol::lol:Unless you can give me a few contrary examples,we can safely say that confused people don't think clearly in ANY aspect of their lives.It's not as if Ana is a psychological mess on court...and in planning her fitness...and in neglecting a stable coaching situation.......and then suddenly,amazingly transforms into this wise fountain of clear thinking in her personal life:haha::haha:

What's embarrassing is that A.Scott is like a male Kournikova in the golf world:he's ZERO threat to less-scrupulous playboy Tiger Woods,has NEVER won a golf major,and is basically just a pretty-faced blow-up doll so that the ultra-boring NON-sport,men's golf,can market itself to a younger,female audience...that's why he has to fabricate his image and pretend to be a Nice Guy who only helps slutty actresses apply sunblock when he has platonic make-out sessions with them on the beach.What makes it so shameful is that Ana,a TRUE Grand Slam champion,has sunk so low that she's known more for being this 2nd-rate playboy's armpiece.....Her tennis success is like a distant memory now,almost a fable,as she's been eclipsed by a Mickey Mouse champ of a swishy,non-athletic diversion

I`ll just ask this
Is there a man on this planet who you think is good enough for Ana ?:happy::lol:

Life is not black and white so i can see people having normal love life even if some other aspects of their life aren`t working

bruce goose

Dec 23rd, 2009, 07:42 PM

I`ll just ask this
Is there a man on this planet who you think is good enough for Ana ?:happy::lol:

Life is not black and white so i can see people having normal love life even if some other aspects of their life aren`t working

Obviously,I'd prefer to see Novak...even Marat or Rafa(as a LAST resort:p)...anyone who gave a rat's ass about Ana's tennis......But you're dodging my question...as I'd expect;).....So I'll ask it again:If Ana runs from her problems CONSTANTLY as she dwells deeply in denial,then why should ANYone expect her to think clearly & soundly in her relationships.You KNOW that's crap...you've even SEEN that's crap with people you've met...and it's time for YOU to cast aside the tabloid fantasy and your OWN denial...unless you'd like to adopt Ana's personality traits:lol::lol::lol:....Only a super-extremely naive person would call it 'coincidence' that Ana's career has taken a profound nosedive since she met the cancerous male Kournikova:p.She WAS on her way back in Nando's company(Zurich/Linz)...now she just 'learns a lot' after each ass-whipping;learns how to be a Vaidisova clone:eek::lol::help:

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:07 PM

Obviously,I'd prefer to see Novak...even Marat or Rafa(as a LAST resort:p)...anyone who gave a rat's ass about Ana's tennis......But you're dodging my question...as I'd expect;).....So I'll ask it again:If Ana runs from her problems CONSTANTLY as she dwells deeply in denial,then why should ANYone expect her to think clearly & soundly in her relationships.You KNOW that's crap...you've even SEEN that's crap with people you've met...and it's time for YOU to cast aside the tabloid fantasy and your OWN denial...unless you'd like to adopt Ana's personality traits:lol::lol::lol:....Only a super-extremely naive person would call it 'coincidence' that Ana's career has taken a profound nosedive since she met the cancerous male Kournikova:p.She WAS on her way back in Nando's company(Zurich/Linz)...now she just 'learns a lot' after each ass-whipping;learns how to be a Vaidisova clone:eek::lol::help:

Yeah right :lol:
You would be saying all these things again if Ana ever dates anyone you mentioned
Rafa WTF? :lol: Now i know you are not serious :lol:

I didn`t know i was in denial.Thank you for clearing that up to me :spit:

If Ana doesn`t know how to have her love and professional life under control that`s not Adam`s fault
Tiger Wood clearly had a messed up love/family life and that didn`t stop him from having great results
Ana is not crazy person.:rolleyes: She had trouble focusing on court,making right decision on court(she didn`t know when to hit BH/FH,when to attack/defend)

How any of that has anything to do with her off court behavior

bruce goose

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:38 PM

Yeah right :lol:
You would be saying all these things again if Ana ever dates anyone you mentioned
Rafa WTF? :lol: Now i know you are not serious :lol:

I didn`t know i was in denial.Thank you for clearing that up to me :spit:

If Ana doesn`t know how to have her love and professional life under control that`s not Adam`s fault
Tiger Wood clearly had a messed up love/family life and that didn`t stop him from having great results
Ana is not crazy person.:rolleyes: She had trouble focusing on court,making right decision on court(she didn`t know when to hit BH/FH,when to attack/defend)

How any of that has anything to do with her off court behaviorYou'll notice that I put the emoticon next to Rafa and said,'last resort':lol:...but you've gotten amnesia,I'm afraid,Jelena.Just look back at last year's post and you'll see that Nando won me over,even though I didn't like him at first.

Also,if you recall some of my earlier posts,you'll remember I admitted that most of this mess falls on ANA,not Adam....I just don't appreciate how he wants to help wreck her career so she'll follow him around like an aimless,infatuated dizzy armpiece who might take a couple years to awaken from her drunkenness.....And you're also behind schedule with the latest news.He CLAIMS that he wants to support the revival of Ana's career....He sure has a damned strange way of showing that:rolleyes:...yeah,thanks Douchebag,missing practice to follow YOUR sorry ass is precisely how you can help her

Your Tiger/Ana comparison is a weak one and you KNOW it;);Tiger is known for being cool under pressure,a calculating person.His sexual immorality and related bad decisions are aberrations on his personality,NOT the norm.Ana is the opposite;bad decision-making is a consistent PATTERN for her.Your comment that Ana 'is not a crazy person' ALSO avoids the real issues.She doesn't need to be a raving lunatic,who talks to invisible elves,in order to have problems.Ana's complexes,fortunately,are somewhat less dangerous and don't require institutionalization.She isn't bipolar or schizophrenic,she simply has absurd delusions and dwells in denial,and these affect her ability to cope with life.

I'll sum it up with a personal anecdote:Aye KNOW 'an Ana',a good friend of mine here in Mexico.If you understood Spanish,Jelena,you'd say to yourself(in re her comments),"Damn!That sounds like the same garbage that ANA says on her website and press conferences.:eek:" Like Ana,my friend has loads of booksmarts and is painfully lacking in wisdom...and guess what??Her personal relationships??What a miracle!!THEY are a mess,too.If you look at the big picture,Ana has only spent around 3 months,if THAT much,with her tumor b/c they usually are far apart on opposite sides of the world...so it's dishonest to call it a legit,one-year relationship.My friend ALSO 'falls deeply in love' with her sporadic bfs...and looks JUST as googly-eyed as Ana does;).....so you see,Jelena,I have some strong precedent here...and I've met other lost souls who were almost exactly the same

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:41 PM

From The Advertiser:

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/6051/seal12.jpg

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:43 PM

From The Cairns Post:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9086/seal13.jpg

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:45 PM

From The Daily Telegraph:

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/797/seal7.jpg

bruce goose

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:49 PM

I didn`t know i was in denial.Thank you for clearing that up to me :spit:

Well,I said it in a NICE way:angel: and,even on your worst day,I'll bet that you're more clear-headed than Ana is right now:hug:......Maybe she should choose that seal as her bf;he'll never be a hindrance to her career...and look at the pic:"Ana seems happy"(lol)

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:56 PM

@Bruce
We can agree to disagree
We clearly can go on and on about this ...

Izzy,is there any newspaper in Australia that didn`t publish something about AUSSIE Ana :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 08:58 PM

From Townsville Bulletin:

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6950/seal16.jpg

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 09:00 PM

From The Australian:

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7530/seal14.jpg

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 09:00 PM

@Bruce
We can agree to disagree
We clearly can go on and on about this ...

Izzy,is there any newspaper in Australia that didn`t publish something about AUSSIE Ana :lol:

:lol: As far as I could see.. No! :lol:

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 09:03 PM

:lol: As far as I could see.. No! :lol:

Good :p :worship:

Mixo

Dec 23rd, 2009, 09:03 PM

I don't know if it makes sense in english but I'm going to say it: Isabela you are a machine!!!!

gaviotabr

Dec 23rd, 2009, 09:06 PM

I don't know if it makes sense in english but I'm going to say it: Isabela you are a machine!!!!

Hahahah the machine girl, good nickname for you, now I have to find one for Jelena xDDD. And, of course, Bruce needs one and I think it's not going to be a funny one ;) ;)

jelenacg

Dec 23rd, 2009, 09:34 PM

Hahahah the machine girl, good nickname for you, now I have to find one for Jelena xDDD. And, of course, Bruce needs one and I think it's not going to be a funny one ;) ;)

:lol::lol:

Izzy the machine girl :lol:

bruce goose

Dec 23rd, 2009, 10:41 PM

@Bruce
We can agree to disagree
We clearly can go on and on about this ...

Yes,you're right,Jelena,but you see how I gave you a hug so there were no hard feelings.I'll admit that my reasoning is very simplistic,here:I simply don't know any women--not ONE--who are in healthy relationships....and become LESS mature with their decisions,grow unable to cope with their work responsibilities,and sink deeper into denial during the course of the relationship.It's VERY hard for me to accept that there's no connection here with Ana,but I have no desire to turn her into a nun.There are plenty of WTA players who have no problem balancing their personal and on-court lives...Heck!!Flavia seems to date only the sleaziest playboys and yet manages to keep things together......And I genuinely hope that Adam is NOT a selfish parasite,and that he helps support her as he CLAIMS that he intends to do......

....I'm just not seeing much evidence to the contrary....As I've said,I'd be thrilled to see all the Adam-worshippers laughing at me in 3 months when Ana proves me wrong by returning to form

bruce goose

Dec 23rd, 2009, 10:44 PM

Hahahah the machine girl, good nickname for you, now I have to find one for Jelena xDDD. And, of course, Bruce needs one and I think it's not going to be a funny one ;) ;)Mixo,your English isn't that bad;all you need to do is look at my sig:I'm Torquemada......You remember him,right??The Pope's best friend in Spain,the Vatican's Spanish hero:lol:

Mixo

Dec 23rd, 2009, 11:21 PM

You seem one of the Monty Python more than Tomás de Torquemada, my friend...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAn7baRbhx4

bruce goose

Dec 24th, 2009, 02:17 AM

You seem one of the Monty Python more than Tomás de Torquemada, my friend...

EVEN as her world ranking was slipping, Ana Ivanovic was still topping polls for her looks.

Men's magazine FHM had her in its 100 Sexiest Women in the World for 2009, the highest-ranked athlete at No 11 behind a host of singers, models and actresses topped by Cheryl Cole.

American sports website sportsnet.ca named her just two weeks ago as its Hottest Female Athlete for 2009.

The polls were flattering but Ivanovic's career was faltering.

She had reached three finals -- the 2007 French Open (which she lost to Justine Henin), 2008 Australian Open (lost to Maria Sharapova) and 2008 French Open (won beating Dinara Safina) -- in a relatively short Grand Slam career, beginning in 2005.

In both 2007 and 2008, the young Serb finished the year ranked in the world top five. It all began to unravel this year, when she slipped to No 21.

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The emotion this year brought her was most pointedly seen in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July against Venus Williams. The defending champion had virtually wiped the grass court with Ivanovic then the world No 1 -- to take the first set 6-1. At deuce in the first game of the second set, Ivanovic appeared in distress and called for the WTA trainer. During a 10-minute medical break, the 22-year-old had her left thigh heavily strapped. Her right knee was already bandaged up when she walked out on court.

Ivanovic tried to play on and even won the game to lead 1-0. But then she walked towards the chair umpire and the tears started flow. She explained she could not go on.

Speaking on Queensland's Sunshine Coast this week, Ivanovic clearly did not enjoy recalling the moment either. It encapsulated a rotten year that forced Ivanovic to take three substantial breaks from the women's tour.

The solution? Ivanovic said she was now a smarter player. While maintaining a high aerobic capacity through exercise, she is not going overboard like before in the build-up to the new season, which for the past five years she has done in the summer heat of Australia for a month.

"Recovery is really important. I didn't do so much in the past so now I'm going to take time and find time to do it," she said, adding she was working less on her legs and lungs and more on how best to land her shots.

By the way.. a couple of things I forgot to comment about her audio interview..

1 - The injury against Venus really hurt her... I think it got her very much down on everything tennis. She said again it was hard to swallow. To feel you are playing better and tehn having to start from scratch again. She needs to learn how to deal with those injuries.. it is a part of a tennis player career.

2 - Very nice words about Kim. :) Not surprising, but I thought it was a nice gesture.

jelenacg

Dec 25th, 2009, 05:04 PM

I didn`t see this before so...

Top 5 most googled WTA players of 09

#5. ANNA KOURNIKOVA

Top Search Month/s: June
Top Topic/s: Alleged involvement in bar brawl

My observations:
- India is present on all top countries searching for all those who made the top 5 list
- Mirza generates more interest than all other players in the top 50 save for Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams
- Russia has 2 players in the top 5
- Kournikova is more popular worldwide than other top and higher ranking players such as Venus Williams, Dinara Safina, and all other players in the top 10 save for Serena
- Serena's US Open outburst was the hottest search topic for the year

By the way.. a couple of things I forgot to comment about her audio interview..

1 - The injury against Venus really hurt her... I think it got her very much down on everything tennis. She said again it was hard to swallow. To feel you are playing better and tehn having to start from scratch again. She needs to learn how to deal with those injuries.. it is a part of a tennis player career.

Yes,I couldn't agree more with #1;though our Jelena is correct when she says that Ana isn't crazy,per se,she DOES suffer from less severe,less obvious psychological problems.She is delusional and uses denial as a defense mechanism,and some of her firings are surely a result of that.Ana really believed the media hype(bullcrap)that she was really 'back' after reaching Wimby's 4th round.She chose to believe the fairy tale even though the evidence showed it to be a lie.Her only halfway decent match in those first three was against Stosur,and I've heard that even THAT one was only a pale imitation of the 'old Ana'(people overlooked how awful Stosur has been on grass in her career,and she came back and destroyed Ana on hard court a short time later).

Basically,Venus brutally crushed Ana's delusions and exposed her;there was nowhere for her to run from that total ass-whipping,no excuses or delusions she could hide behind.This harsh wake-up call was too brutal for her to handle,and she was probably half relieved when the leg pain offered her an avenue to quit and walk off the court.Ana and Gavin Versi CLAIM that it was a 'serious muscle tear'....and changed their stories afterwards SO often that Ana couldn't keep her lies straight anymore.IMO,it was likely no more than a cramp/charley horse;Ana COULD have played thru it...but then Venus' annihilation of her would've continued.At least an injury default would get her some sympathy and distract critics from Venus' complete domination of that match.Why can I confidently say that Ana quit??Because she quit on the entire SEASON from that point forward,hiding on the golf course with a facilitator who was only too happy to see her fail and become more dependent on his short-term self-esteem boosts(JUST like an alcoholic depends on whiskey or other drinks when running from his/her problems).

I'm glad to see Ana admit that the Venus match was a wake-up call;it's an extremely rare moment of candor for her in her press statements.To me,the tears weren't about losing the match,they were connected to Ana's shame at quitting and,even stronger,the rude awakening where the mismatch revealed how poor the state of her game really was.I hope she uses that loss as motivation to bring her back fighting.The OLD Ana can beat Venus;we've seen it.....Is she dedicated enough to revive that Ana???Or,dare we hope(?),an even BETTER version of our Slam-winning Ana??

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 11:25 AM

This article just came out! I'm really surprised Ana spoke this much about her personal life:

OF all the things Ana Ivanovic has learned from boyfriend Adam Scott, the greatest piece of advice has been to stay patient.

Ivanovic acknowledges she can be impetuous. She also says she is prone to over-analysing life and once read so much of philosopher Sigmund Freud's work that it sent her mind spinning.

But Scott grounded her when her thoughts became a negative blur. "We spoke a lot about everything as it was happening during the year," Ivanovic said. "And we always tried to help each other."

Ivanovic said Scott has encouraged her to persevere in the face of adversity. "The biggest thing professionally he has taught me is patience," Ivanovic said. "That's where our games are really different."

And patience is exactly what she needed during the most trying year of her career. The 22-year-old optimist, who once said the rain at Wimbledon should be enjoyed, struggled with her form to the point of breaking down in tears.

Ivanovic may have jumped 12 places to 11th on the FHM 100 Sexiest Women In The World list for 2009, but on the ranking table that really matters she fell from No 1 in June 2008 to be No 21 now. Ivanovic battled injuries that kept her off the tour in April and July and then prematurely ended her year in October.

One of the toughest moments came at Wimbledon - the first time Scott publicly supported her. She injured her thigh in the match against Venus Williams and left the court crying. "Then when the injury came it was really hard," Ivanovic said. "It was very hard for me to swallow. I was very down on myself and it was very hard to get going again."

Her lowest point came at the US Open just a few months later when for the first time she exited in the opening round of a Grand Slam. On her darkest days, Ivanovic admits she over-thought everything and frazzled her mind.

It was Scott, 30, who calmed her thoughts and told her the form that won her the 2008 French Open would one day return. Just like it eventually returned for him. Ivanovic's eyes sparkle when she speaks of Scott's Australian Open victory. She tells how they later celebrated on the Sunshine Coast to toast his first big tournament win on home soil.

"You know Adam had a great win at the Australian Open and it was so great to see him win after he was working so hard," she said. "It's great to see that reward - I know what he goes through and what he feels, so in that sense we are very alike.

"He was such a great support during this year. I feel very, very happy and at peace in my personal life and now with everything being in place with my tennis. I feel it's all in the right place and it's all going the right way. I feel good things are about to happen next year."

However, it was a different story at the start of 2009 when Ivanovic and Scott were at the "just friends" stage and the Serbian was dealing with her problems by reading. While in 2008 she studied Freud's view on how the mind formed, this year the economics student read a bundle of psychology books, including Eckhart Tolle's the Power of Now and the Dalai Lama's Art of Happiness.

"It made things even harder," Ivanovic said. "I was just so in deep in the books. It was very overwhelming." She has now switched to fiction. And having her family and Scott to confide in has helped. Sometimes I just like to be on my own and have a quiet day," Ivanovic said. "But then I constantly think and think and I over-analyse things when I can't find solutions to something.

"Sometimes it's better to talk to someone because if you are in a negative state of mind, whatever thought that comes up will be a negative one - you know if you follow it, you are in a world of hurt. Sometimes it's better if you have someone you trust that you can share those thoughts with and they can help you see the reality and not just see the negative side of things."

The director of her management company, Gavin Versi, notes: "She's quite an intellectual person and that's not always a good thing in sport. She was reading Freud just after the Australian Open in 2008 and it just became too much, she was over-thinking and over-analysing. She realised it wasn't a good idea."

Ivanovic bursts into a fit of giggles when asked if she will ever stop "over-thinking" life. The perfectionist said it's not possible. "No I don't think I could ever stop that," Ivanovic said. "I wish I could. I wish I could stop over-thinking and over-analysing everything and just trying to be perfect in everything I do because it's just not possible. But I am who I am and I just have to find ways to deal with it and accept it. I think acceptance is a great part for me."

A friend close to the couple say Scott and Ivanovic make an excellent match. "He's a very thoughtful, intelligent person. They are a good fit. He's obviously had a positive impact on her."

The Scott and Ivanovic families spent Christmas Day at their Sunshine Beach home. "It's great that my family could come," Ivanovic said. "This is second time here for them for Christmas, but their first time at Noosa. It's very nice. It's a nice time to spend Christmas with the families. Just relax and take it easy and just enjoy the day. I really love it here."

And they even quote Gavin. I wonder if they are making a bigger piece on Ana and she gave a long interview.. and they are posting it in bits and pieces. Lots of news on her in the past couple of weeks over the Aussie press.

By the way.. Adam is 29, not 30. :lol:

Davodus

Dec 26th, 2009, 11:47 AM

Nice article, considering she is usually so private about her personal life.

jelenacg

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:12 PM

Can you guys believe how open Ana was? I'm really surprised..

And they even quote Gavin. I wonder if they are making a bigger piece on Ana and she gave a long interview.. and they are posting it in bits and pieces. Lot's of news on her in the past couple of weeks over the Aussie press.

By the way.. Adam is 29, not 30. :lol:

I think it`s a good thing
But we better don`t get used to this :lol:

`The biggest thing professionally he has taught me is patience`

I'll believe it when I see it :lol::lol:
But i`m not questioning Adam`s teaching methods :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:15 PM

I think it`s a good thing
But we better don`t get used to this :lol:

`The biggest thing professionally he has taught me is patience`

I'll believe it when I see it :lol::lol:
But i`m not questioning Adam`s teaching methods :lol:

Hey Jelena!

Yeah.. I'll believe it when I see it..

What about the friend who says he has obviously had a good impact on her.. I don't want to question him.. but I like old Ana better.. :sobbing:

jelenacg

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:20 PM

Hey Jelena!

Yeah.. I'll believe it when I see it..

What about the friend who says he has obviously had a good impact on her.. I don't want to question him.. but I like old Ana better.. :sobbing:

I always loved those a friend close to the couple said :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Nice friend btw :rolleyes:
That friend probably doesn`t exits in this case.They just wrote their opinion :lol:

I would say Ana obviously had a good impact on him :angel:

jelenacg

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:35 PM

I just read an interview with Novak :lol:
http://www.mondo.rs/s156600/Zvezde_i_tracevi/Novak_Djokovic_osniva_rok_bend.html
They asked him about him playing golf and he said

The truth is that I often play golf, but I`m not very good. I started to lose a lot of money because of my frequent defeats.:lol: I'll have to seek some advice from Ana's boyfriend Adam Scott :lol::lol: also wouldn`t be bad idea either to play a few games with him

Mixo

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:36 PM

Really nice article, really nice.

"He's obviously had a positive impact on her."

And bruce was right... as always.

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:37 PM

I just read an interview with Novak :lol:
http://www.mondo.rs/s156600/Zvezde_i_tracevi/Novak_Djokovic_osniva_rok_bend.html
They asked him about him playing golf and he said

The truth is that I often play golf, but I`m not very good. I started to lose a lot of money because of my frequent defeats.:lol: I'll have to seek some advice from Anna's boyfriend Adam Scott :lol::lol: also wouldn`t be bad idea either to play a few games with him

I saw that.. :lol:

Novak! :lol:

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:37 PM

Really nice article, really nice.

"He's obviously had a positive impact on her."

And bruce was right... as always.

Hey Mixo!

Well... that's an opinion.. Nothing against Adam.. but I like old Ana better.. :sobbing:

InsideOut.

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:37 PM

I just read an interview with Novak :lol:
http://www.mondo.rs/s156600/Zvezde_i_tracevi/Novak_Djokovic_osniva_rok_bend.html
They asked him about him playing golf and he said

The truth is that I often play golf, but I`m not very good. I started to lose a lot of money because of my frequent defeats.:lol: I'll have to seek some advice from Anna's boyfriend Adam Scott :lol::lol: also wouldn`t be bad idea either to play a few games with him

And maybe get Ana back ;):hearts:

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:41 PM

I always loved those a friend close to the couple said :rolleyes::rolleyes:
Nice friend btw :rolleyes:
That friend probably doesn`t exits in this case.They just wrote their opinion :lol:

I would say Ana obviously had a good impact on him :angel:

Yes.. :worship:

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:42 PM

At least she says she is happy..

"He was such a great support during this year. I feel very, very happy and at peace in my personal life and now with everything being in place with my tennis. I feel it's all in the right place and it's all going the right way. I feel good things are about to happen next year."

That's always good to read. :)

Mixo

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:44 PM

Hey Mixo!

Well... that's an opinion.. Nothing against Adam.. but I like old Ana better.. :sobbing:

2010 is going to change your opinion ;)

jelenacg

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:51 PM

And maybe get Ana back ;):hearts:

:lol:

At least she says she is happy..
That's always good to read. :)

She is always `happy off court
I`m still not sure she`ll be any smarter next season if she has not so great start of the year.:sad:
I hope she proves me wrong :angel:

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:56 PM

2010 is going to change your opinion ;)

I hope you are right!

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 12:58 PM

:lol:
She is always `happy off court
I`m still not sure she`ll be any smarter next season if she has not so great start of the year.:sad:
I hope she proves me wrong :angel:

Yes.. agreed. The beginning of the year will be crucial.. I'm also not one bit more positive about it then I was before.. Actually.. all these articles just keep making me think she is hoping things will fall from the skies.

And thinking about the fitness coach as well.. the guy has only coached injury ridden players. Scary..

jelenacg

Dec 26th, 2009, 01:03 PM

Yes.. agreed. The beginning of the year will be crucial.. I'm also not one bit more positive about it then I was before.. Actually.. all these articles just keep making me think she is hoping things will fall from the skies.

And thinking about the fitness coach as well.. the guy has only coached injury ridden players. Scary..

I know :unsure:
As much as it is important for her to have good results and not to get discourage quickly it`s also very important to stay injury free

gaviotabr

Dec 26th, 2009, 01:11 PM

I know :unsure:
As much as it is important for her to have good results and not to get discourage quickly it`s also very important to stay injury free

Yes, extremely important.. even more so considering how badly she has dealt with injuries in the past. Look at how she speaks about the injury agaisnt Venus at Wimbledon. She got so down on herself it was hard for her to get going.. which became pretty obvious afterwards. She had no desire to play for the rest of the year.

I still can't understand how she was only thinking about taking a break while playing the last grand slam of the season. No wonder she lost the first match the way she lost it. Her head just wasn't there.

And then we think who this guy has coached.. Injury ridden players who just aren't really fit ever..

bruce goose

Dec 26th, 2009, 02:33 PM

Can you guys believe how open Ana was? I'm really surprised..

And they even quote Gavin. I wonder if they are making a bigger piece on Ana and she gave a long interview.. and they are posting it in bits and pieces. Lots of news on her in the past couple of weeks over the Aussie press.

This is actually nice to hear....SOMEWHAT...as it shows he acknowledges that he SHOULD play some role in supporting her.Some other posters,who shall remain nameless;),were offering some blah blah crap about how it wasn't his place to comment to Ana on her struggles unless they'd been married for 10 years.

I believe he sees the part where Ana gets herself into an over-analytical,psychological mess(how could he NOT see it?),and maybe he felt that all the WAGging time would reduce pressure from over-training or over-preparing...that's quasi-logical,I suppose but,since he's now indisputably in the participation phase,he also needs to realize that Ana DOES require a bit more prep than HE does for his sissy,non-athletic 'sport'...and that he's not qualified OR able,apparently,to lift Ana out of her psychological breakdowns...that she ought to have someone better,and more committed,than Sven to reason with her when she begins to self-destruct mentally.If Ana is truly 'in love',then she won't 'fire' Adam as a bf when he suggests this

bruce goose

Dec 26th, 2009, 02:44 PM

Really nice article, really nice.

"He's obviously had a positive impact on her."

And bruce was right... as always.The fact that you blindly believe such articles shows how obedient you would've been to my Inquisition associates:lol:.Seriously,Mixo,if you can demonstrate this 'positive impact',then I'd be happy to look at your details;).All I know is that Ana has had her worst results EVER in the Adam Era and,instead of addressing the problems directly,she seems to be running away from them on the golf course.Is that first part just a coincidence???...........Well,like I've said many times,I didn't like Nando at first,either,but he won me over eventually...and it will be the same with Adam if he shows me that he's not just another Stepanek who preys on immature,younger women.I don't think that Ana will TRULY be 'happy' without some sort of tennis revival,and this is what I'm hoping for:angel:

Curtos07

Dec 26th, 2009, 06:48 PM

That was a very interesting interview. It's kind of nice to see Ana so open. :) I really do believe Adam can make an impact on Ana's game in a positive way. I think she has done so for Adam the past couple of months. Maybe, just maybe, she will be able to relax a little more and stop thinking so much as she said in the article and I think that's where Adam can help. After watching Adam struggle all year and to see him comeback near the end, that could motivate and help convince Ana that she can do the same.

The couple that struggled together in 2009, will win together in 2010! :bounce:

Mixo

Dec 26th, 2009, 07:47 PM

The fact that you blindly believe such articles shows how obedient you would've been to my Inquisition associates:lol:.Seriously,Mixo,if you can demonstrate this 'positive impact',then I'd be happy to look at your details;).All I know is that Ana has had her worst results EVER in the Adam Era and,instead of addressing the problems directly,she seems to be running away from them on the golf course.Is that first part just a coincidence???...........Well,like I've said many times,I didn't like Nando at first,either,but he won me over eventually...and it will be the same with Adam if he shows me that he's not just another Stepanek who preys on immature,younger women.I don't think that Ana will TRULY be 'happy' without some sort of tennis revival,and this is what I'm hoping for:angel:

These are her words, maybe she's wrong but she feels good with Adam as we can see and as we couldn't while she was dating with Verdasco. I trust her and I'm really expecting a very good 2010.

Curtos07

Dec 26th, 2009, 08:21 PM

and it will be the same with Adam if he shows me that he's not just another Stepanek who preys on immature,younger women[/B].

He has already proven that. He is dating a mature, young woman right now in Ana. :) She's smart enough and mature enough to know who is right for her. ;)

bruce goose

Dec 26th, 2009, 08:44 PM

He has already proven that. He is dating a mature, young woman right now in Ana. :) She's smart enough and mature enough to know who is right for her. ;)That's where we disagree;Ana has been a veritable fount of immature,rash decisions....Firing fitness coaches after 2 weeks,going long stretches with no fitness plan whatsoever sometimes,and showing hostility to anyone who dares to question her obviously-weak mental state on court...as if the messenger was somehow to blame for the bad news.She has been more like a teenage girl who's personal growth was stunted...more like Vaidisova than anyone else.I don't know where you see this imaginary maturity that Ana supposedly has...unless you've snuck across the Mexican border to get some of our famous peyote or magic mushrooms:lol:

As for Adam,my suspicion is that he didn't enjoy getting dumped by the Swedish girl..and he knows that he can't count on slutty actresses like Kate Hudson...so he found a dizzy much-younger gal who was likely to be so bedazzled by him that she'd neglect her career and physical & mental fitness to follow him around blindly........or maybe he simply got lucky and didn't actually plan this in advance by 'scouting' Ana.

As I've said,the proof is in the pudding:Ana has had her worst results EVER in the Adam Era...even her previous slump wasn't THIS bad.You can't blame me for doubting that this is a mere coincidence...but I'd love to see both Ana AND you prove me wrong....And I sincerely mean that,Curtis

bruce goose

Dec 26th, 2009, 08:57 PM

These are her words, maybe she's wrong but she feels good with Adam as we can see and as we couldn't while she was dating with Verdasco. I trust her and I'm really expecting a very good 2010.Like I've said,Mixo,an alcoholic feels good when he has a bottle of whiskey in his hand...but that DOESN'T mean that his mind is clear or healthy....Ana is no different.She uses her relationship to run away from her problems the same as los barrachos hide from their problems in their liquor;unfortunately,this doesn't make Ana's troubles disappear,it only makes them WORSE the more she avoids them.

I'll give you some simple truth:
With Nando: A Linz tournament championship and the only sight of the 'old Ana' that we've seen since RG 2008
With Adam:NADA!!! An Ana who quits in her Grand Slam matches and whose skills have deteriorated even worse than before

As I've told you,I'd LOVE to see her win with Adam,and I'll even apologize to all the Adam-worshippers if she does...but I DON'T trust Ana's press statements,Mixo:She has lied to us so many times previously that NOW she has to prove it to me by her ACTIONS,NOT her words.

Mixo

Dec 26th, 2009, 10:38 PM

Hilarious xDD Ana=drunks

DefyingGravity

Dec 26th, 2009, 11:20 PM

Ana seems happier with Adam, and happiness can amount to a lot more. If she's happy and at least feeling good about herself and in that light, she'll want to go out and play a lot more and that might help her get the fire. She's lost a bit of her old flame, and dating any athlete, you start finding yourself in competition with them to try and get better results. He's won a big tournament, and now Ana might want to try and do so herself. Instead of looking at past results, let's look at what the relationship has brought to her. It's given her a sense of self-peace, and no matter what, fake or not, it's good because that person can then return to what they like to do best.

I mean, look at Clijsters:

With Hewitt: No Grand Slams, injured, visibly frustrated.
With Lynch: 2 Grand Slams, a kid, and a happy, balanced life.

You can't just say this is all bad.

bruce goose

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:02 AM

Ana seems happier with Adam, and happiness can amount to a lot more. If she's happy and at least feeling good about herself and in that light, she'll want to go out and play a lot more and that might help her get the fire. She's lost a bit of her old flame, and dating any athlete, you start finding yourself in competition with them to try and get better results. He's won a big tournament, and now Ana might want to try and do so herself. Instead of looking at past results, let's look at what the relationship has brought to her. It's given her a sense of self-peace, and no matter what, fake or not, it's good because that person can then return to what they like to do best.

I mean, look at Clijsters:

With Hewitt: No Grand Slams, injured, visibly frustrated.
With Lynch: 2 Grand Slams, a kid, and a happy, balanced life.

You can't just say this is all bad.Excellent comparison between Ana and Kim---the difference between a HEALTHY relationship,Kim and her husband,and an imbalanced one where the woman is dependent on short-term self-esteem boosts based on her bf's approval.In fact,other than Vaidisova and Szavay--who was sleeping with her coach--you can't think of another gal who has been in such a destructive relationship recently.

People forget that Nando gradually won me over last year,so I have no objection to Ana or any of my other favorites having a bf.I look at your poster name and ask you to use our :hearts:Elena:hearts: as a contrast;do you EVER see Lena skipping weeks of practice to watch Maxim's hockey games??Of COURSE not---that's the distinction between an emotionally mature,balanced woman and an immature girl who will neglect her career,personal fitness,and psychological issues so that she can cling desperately to her mate.

I'm not upset if my buddy Mixo or others don't see the similarity between Ana and an alcoholic or junkie--but the principles are the same,only with less severe consequences.Ana uses her relationship as a crutch to run away from her problems instead of facing them,and that's EXACTLY what dependent people do...whether it's liquor,drugs,or bfs/gfs.

My approach is very simple here:TRUE love brings out the BEST someone has to offer---just look at Clijsters,the example you gave.Love doesn't make you LESS mature,less trustworthy,and have less belief in yourself...and that's ALL we've seen from Ana in the Adam Era.It's not his fault that she's mentally weak(she was already like that),but this sort of dependency on a much older man,who CAN'T relate to her need for growth as a young woman,hasn't helped her ONE BIT if you check out her results and behavior.........I'll retract this statement if I ever see any evidence--like a stable Ana,for example--to prove me wrong

jelenacg

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:05 AM

Ana seems happier with Adam, and happiness can amount to a lot more. If she's happy and at least feeling good about herself and in that light, she'll want to go out and play a lot more and that might help her get the fire. She's lost a bit of her old flame, and dating any athlete, you start finding yourself in competition with them to try and get better results. He's won a big tournament, and now Ana might want to try and do so herself. Instead of looking at past results, let's look at what the relationship has brought to her. It's given her a sense of self-peace, and no matter what, fake or not, it's good because that person can then return to what they like to do best.

I mean, look at Clijsters:

With Hewitt: No Grand Slams, injured, visibly frustrated.
With Lynch: 2 Grand Slams, a kid, and a happy, balanced life.

You can't just say this is all bad.

I agree with this
At least Fernando wanted to prove himself when he was with Ana :lol:
It was pretty obvious at AO
The thing that worries me is that i`m not sure Ana knows how to manage well her professional and love life at the same time :o
I`m mean she still has to prove that she is capable of that

bruce goose

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:16 AM

I agree with this
At least Fernando wanted to prove himself when he was with Ana :lol:
It was pretty obvious at AO
Izzy says that this only works for GUYS:lol:...that the woman always suck when they start dating a celeb.Maybe you two can have a catfight over this:drool:.Also,Nando was already getting two-timed at the AO so,according to our mayor,his male pride was kicking in as he wanted to prove himself.Nando would've won that match had it been played a couple months later cuz Rafa still had his artificial stamina boost from some of those PEDs he took in December 2008 while they were legal...after those first 2 months of 2009,he sure got tired awfully quickly;):p

In YOUR favor,Ana won a tournament in the Nando Era and was much more competitive even when she lost...so I think I'll sit in YOUR corner for the catfight:devil:

jelenacg

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:30 AM

Izzy says that this only works for GUYS:lol:...that the woman always suck when they start dating a celeb.Maybe you two can have a catfight over this:drool:.Also,Nando was already getting two-timed at the AO so,according to our mayor,his male pride was kicking in as he wanted to prove himself.Nando would've won that match had it been played a couple months later cuz Rafa still had his artificial stamina boost from some of those PEDs he took in December 2008 while they were legal...after those first 2 months of 2009,he sure got tired awfully quickly;):p

In YOUR favor,Ana won a tournament in the Nando Era and was much more competitive even when she lost...so I think I'll sit in YOUR corner for the catfight:devil:

I`m not going to have a fight with Izzy :lol:
I don`t want to be deported from Anapolis :o :lol:

Fernando and Ana already broke up before AO but he still wanted to prove himself not only to Ana but to the world
I don`t know if that only works with men , I hope not :lol:
Also no way Fernando will ever win a match against Rafa :rolleyes:
Spaniards are afraid of Rafa just like Russians are afraid of Sharapova :lol:

jonnyroyale_13

Dec 27th, 2009, 01:00 AM

do you EVER see Lena skipping weeks of practice to watch Maxim's hockey games??

Its not like Ana is running around Africa to watch him play golf. The guy is Australian. Of course shes going to be at his events in Australia. It works out great that he plays there during Ana's offseason.
And we have no idea what Ana's practices have been like this offseason. There isnt video of all of Ana's matches, nevermind her practices. When the season begins, we'll see for ourselves how much work she's put in.

DefyingGravity

Dec 27th, 2009, 02:08 AM

Excellent comparison between Ana and Kim---the difference between a HEALTHY relationship,Kim and her husband,and an imbalanced one where the woman is dependent on short-term self-esteem boosts based on her bf's approval.In fact,other than Vaidisova and Szavay--who was sleeping with her coach--you can't think of another gal who has been in such a destructive relationship recently.

People forget that Nando gradually won me over last year,so I have no objection to Ana or any of my other favorites having a bf.I look at your poster name and ask you to use our :hearts:Elena:hearts: as a contrast;do you EVER see Lena skipping weeks of practice to watch Maxim's hockey games??Of COURSE not---that's the distinction between an emotionally mature,balanced woman and an immature girl who will neglect her career,personal fitness,and psychological issues so that she can cling desperately to her mate.

I'm not upset if my buddy Mixo or others don't see the similarity between Ana and an alcoholic or junkie--but the principles are the same,only with less severe consequences.Ana uses her relationship as a crutch to run away from her problems instead of facing them,and that's EXACTLY what dependent people do...whether it's liquor,drugs,or bfs/gfs.

My approach is very simple here:TRUE love brings out the BEST someone has to offer---just look at Clijsters,the example you gave.Love doesn't make you LESS mature,less trustworthy,and have less belief in yourself...and that's ALL we've seen from Ana in the Adam Era.It's not his fault that she's mentally weak(she was already like that),but this sort of dependency on a much older man,who CAN'T relate to her need for growth as a young woman,hasn't helped her ONE BIT if you check out her results and behavior.........I'll retract this statement if I ever see any evidence--like a stable Ana,for example--to prove me wrong

That's a good rebuttal, but at the same time, aren't all relationships based off of dependency of some sort, and aren't most relationships unequal in terms of what people want/need/get out of them? And how long have Adam and Ana truly been going out, because we don't know the extent of exactly how long they've actually been together. Sure, she showed up at the British Open after Wimbledon...and sure she's been at the Australian Open, but those are either after or before tournaments she will play, and don't nearly have the detrimental effect on her as if she were chasing him all over. I don't feel like she's that dependent on a boyfriend really, because she would have had/needed one in her earlier career of 2004-2007.

And it's also different from Fernando, who I have no beef with at all, because the two of them could really end up seeing each other a lot less often than Ana and Nando would, seeing as the Grand Slams, Miami, and Indian Wells are all combined, and that's already six times, and since she would venture to Spain every once in a while, she'd probably meet up with him there. There's not that much of a dependency there, as she hasn't turned up at every single one of his events and he hasn't done that to her. It could toughen her up, make her prioritize. I see nothing but good coming from it, seeing as though she's got little time to see him. What I found more detrimental was her reading psychological heavy literature...that isn't good for anyone. Just look at Jennifer Capriati in 2004, reading Nietzsche.

Anyway, I ventured off topic. I really don't see Ana as being the type of person that NEEDS someone there, kind of like a Kim Clijsters. Kim wanted that life, and it brings much more balance to a woman's life. But she still had her slump and injuries, which was 2006-2007. Sure, she did well, but not nearly the same Kim Clijsters of 2005, her best year. Everyone has a period where their game cools down, and it's those who start to round out their entire lives that bounce back well. Those who realize that their career is their career AND those who pursue outside interests or romance. The Williams sisters, Clijsters, they're all good examples of women who have those rounded lives and haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I'm sure Ana is working hard, and with this new-found relationship and a stress on not forcing everything and being more patient, it can only mean good things in my book.

bruce goose

Dec 27th, 2009, 03:09 AM

That's a good rebuttal, but at the same time, aren't all relationships based off of dependency of some sort, and aren't most relationships unequal in terms of what people want/need/get out of them? And how long have Adam and Ana truly been going out, because we don't know the extent of exactly how long they've actually been together. Sure, she showed up at the British Open after Wimbledon...and sure she's been at the Australian Open, but those are either after or before tournaments she will play, and don't nearly have the detrimental effect on her as if she were chasing him all over. I don't feel like she's that dependent on a boyfriend really, because she would have had/needed one in her earlier career of 2004-2007.

And it's also different from Fernando, who I have no beef with at all, because the two of them could really end up seeing each other a lot less often than Ana and Nando would, seeing as the Grand Slams, Miami, and Indian Wells are all combined, and that's already six times, and since she would venture to Spain every once in a while, she'd probably meet up with him there. There's not that much of a dependency there, as she hasn't turned up at every single one of his events and he hasn't done that to her. It could toughen her up, make her prioritize. I see nothing but good coming from it, seeing as though she's got little time to see him. What I found more detrimental was her reading psychological heavy literature...that isn't good for anyone. Just look at Jennifer Capriati in 2004, reading Nietzsche.

Anyway, I ventured off topic. I really don't see Ana as being the type of person that NEEDS someone there, kind of like a Kim Clijsters. Kim wanted that life, and it brings much more balance to a woman's life. But she still had her slump and injuries, which was 2006-2007. Sure, she did well, but not nearly the same Kim Clijsters of 2005, her best year. Everyone has a period where their game cools down, and it's those who start to round out their entire lives that bounce back well. Those who realize that their career is their career AND those who pursue outside interests or romance. The Williams sisters, Clijsters, they're all good examples of women who have those rounded lives and haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I'm sure Ana is working hard, and with this new-found relationship and a stress on not forcing everything and being more patient, it can only mean good things in my book.Well,I'll only comment on a few things here.#1.Ana needs more than such a brief period to get ready for the Aussie season,and yet she spent several wasted WEEKS chasing Adam around.That speaks of poor preparation cuz Ana,despite her low common sense,knows from experience that she has to be physically and mentally fitter than that.Again,this points to an unhealthy over-dependency on her relationship as a form of escapism,avoiding the unpleasant reality that her mental state on the tennis court is NOT where it must be if she ever intends to regain her form....You don't see this with mature players,you can't find ONE successful WTA'er who has such an imbalance as Ana...just TRY to think of even one...you can't.That same challenge goes to Mr.Royale or any other poster here

#2.You're ignoring the results from 2009.Her separation from Adam did NOT toughen her up one little bit;it apparently made her only MORE dependent and infatuated with him.Of course HE isn't gonna chase HER around b/c he's the controller in this relationship;he has nothing to worry about.However,after Ana quit in her match with Venus,she spent around six weeks ducking the WTA Tour while pretending that what was,at WORST,a minor injury,was something more serious(she changed her story from 'minor injury' to 'serious injury' several times...back and forth...she couldn't keep her lies straight).During this time she ran around with Adam,so that refutes your claim that she doesn't interrupt her tennis schedule for him.She's done it both this month AND last season.

#3.Your reference to Ana's past from 2004-2007 is irrelevant to the present day.The old Ana was so focused on tennis that she never spent time dating men.That all changed post-RG 2008,and even before then ANY Ana fan could testify that she tended to be a people-pleaser type....OVERLY so.This makes her more susceptible to becoming dependent on an older man who's the object of her infatuation.Let's look at her foolish choices: (1).Rafa,who had been dating another woman for over three years and was unlikely to dump her to make Ana his exclusive gf(and he didn't,much to her disappointment).(2)Nando,a noted playboy who,lucky for Ana,became quite taken with her. (3).A.Scott,a much-older man who can't relate to the fact that Ana is a young woman who is still finding herself as a person.Ana has the maturity level of a late teen due to her delayed emotional growth caused by her tennis career so,practically speaking,it's more like a TEN-year age difference between Ana and Adam.

To conclude simply,Ana has psychological issues that Adam apparently can't understand,cuz it's OBVIOUS AS HELL that she needs a full-time coach and even some sort of counselling to help her with her mental blocks...yet she's not getting ANY encouragement from him to face these problems in a practical way.Maybe he WANTS to keep her in this dependent,infatuated state...or maybe he's really a Nice Guy and he's just bewildered as Ana is....either way,you can't hide from the fact that Ana has SUCKED during the Adam Era...and there's ZERO evidence of that changing....I hope to see some,though

bruce goose

Dec 27th, 2009, 03:17 AM

I`m not going to have a fight with Izzy :lol:
I don`t want to be deported from Anapolis :o :lol:

Also no way Fernando will ever win a match against Rafa :rolleyes:
Spaniards are afraid of Rafa just like Russians are afraid of Sharapova :lol:Maybe you're right about Nando;maybe he'd choke vs. even the SKINNY Nadal...but that fear that Spaniards might have does NOT apply to Latinos:Rafa is JMDP's bitch now...it'd be like that if they were locked in the same prison cell and Nadal's only POSSIBLE reprieve from that will come on clay...even THERE it's not a guarantee anymore.

I don't REALLY wanna see you and Izzy fight cuz I couldn't stand to see either of you get hurt:angel:....It was just a joke,Jelena.......Now to see two hot babes pillow-fighting in their pajamas,well...........sorry,Jelena:o:o:o....I'll stop right there:tape::lol:

DefyingGravity

Dec 27th, 2009, 03:51 AM

Well,I'll only comment on a few things here.#1.Ana needs more than such a brief period to get ready for the Aussie season,and yet she spent several wasted WEEKS chasing Adam around.That speaks of poor preparation cuz Ana,despite her low common sense,knows from experience that she has to be physically and mentally fitter than that.Again,this points to an unhealthy over-dependency on her relationship as a form of escapism,avoiding the unpleasant reality that her mental state on the tennis court is NOT where it must be if she ever intends to regain her form....You don't see this with mature players,you can't find ONE successful WTA'er who has such an imbalance as Ana...just TRY to think of even one...you can't.That same challenge goes to Mr.Royale or any other poster here

#2.You're ignoring the results from 2009.Her separation from Adam did NOT toughen her up one little bit;it apparently made her only MORE dependent and infatuated with him.Of course HE isn't gonna chase HER around b/c he's the controller in this relationship;he has nothing to worry about.However,after Ana quit in her match with Venus,she spent around six weeks ducking the WTA Tour while pretending that what was,at WORST,a minor injury,was something more serious(she changed her story from 'minor injury' to 'serious injury' several times...back and forth...she couldn't keep her lies straight).During this time she ran around with Adam,so that refutes your claim that she doesn't interrupt her tennis schedule for him.She's done it both this month AND last season.

#3.Your reference to Ana's past from 2004-2007 is irrelevant to the present day.The old Ana was so focused on tennis that she never spent time dating men.That all changed post-RG 2008,and even before then ANY Ana fan could testify that she tended to be a people-pleaser type....OVERLY so.This makes her more susceptible to becoming dependent on an older man who's the object of her infatuation.Let's look at her foolish choices: (1).Rafa,who had been dating another woman for over three years and was unlikely to dump her to make Ana his exclusive gf(and he didn't,much to her disappointment).(2)Nando,a noted playboy who,lucky for Ana,became quite taken with her. (3).A.Scott,a much-older man who can't relate to the fact that Ana is a young woman who is still finding herself as a person.Ana has the maturity level of a late teen due to her delayed emotional growth caused by her tennis career so,practically speaking,it's more like a TEN-year age difference between Ana and Adam.

To conclude simply,Ana has psychological issues that Adam apparently can't understand,cuz it's OBVIOUS AS HELL that she needs a full-time coach and even some sort of counselling to help her with her mental blocks...yet she's not getting ANY encouragement from him to face these problems in a practical way.Maybe he WANTS to keep her in this dependent,infatuated state...or maybe he's really a Nice Guy and he's just bewildered as Ana is....either way,you can't hide from the fact that Ana has SUCKED during the Adam Era...and there's ZERO evidence of that changing....I hope to see some,though

1. Nicole Vaidisova clearly suffered from the same imbalance. Hence she and Stepanek being on and off again, and her tennis career gone. I feel like we're neglecting the clear imbalance she had in 2008...as she chased Radek to Rome AFTER she crashed out of Berlin, and a numerous other places instead of concentrating on her own tennis. Once he was out of Wimbledon, she made the quarters...and even then she looked bored.

2. I didn't say it has toughened her up, I'm saying it will. We as a public still don't know exactly how long they've been going out as serious dating couple, but she was seen in July with him, and then again in December. Still, her results weren't THAT bad in the first half of 2009. Sure, Kleybanova at the Aussie, Szavay in Miami were bad but still: Final in Indian Wells, 4R of Roland Garros, 4R of Wimbledon, QF of Dubai and Brisbane. Those weren't bad at all. It's the second half, after that Wimbledon injury which totally shattered her confidence that her results went downhill. Adam had absolutely nothing to do with that. If they had been dating since Brisbane, shouldn't he have affected her COMPLETELY since that moment?

3. The Nadal thing, as you said, wasn't really going to be a relationship. And how much attention did she really give Fernando, if she the only reported time they dated was in Linz and the YEC, and split before the new season started? Neither one of those can be considered real relationships, as clearly she wasn't too concerned with Nadal and Verdasco barely lasted long enough to make any impact on her. And, some women could use an older man to pull them up in maturity much faster, even if this relationship doesn't last very long, she can benefit from talking with him. That's what she really needs at this moment, talking things out with someone. Adam can at least, if anything, be the venting-listening board. This really is a positive for Ana. And like I said earlier, women tend to want relationships AND careers and can settle down a little more and feel more comfortable with relationship and being able to put their tennis career aside at the very end of the day and talk with someone close to their heart.

4. It's not that irrelevant to bring up her early success. If she was really the needy type that she's being portrayed to be in your argument about her being similar to an alcoholic/drug addict when it comes to love, she would have needed it at earlier stages of her career as well. She clearly didn't, and even the hardest concentration on tennis wouldn't be able to deter someone who so desperately needs a relationship to escape the bad tennis (that year in 2006 compared to '05 and '07 in between was :help: except for Montreal and Indian Wells...two tournaments...). Being a people pleaser and needing a relationship, or being easily coaxed into one by her emotions are two very different things. People pleasers can survive on entourages of people to entertain and do well for as friends; I should know, I happen to be a people pleaser. Needing a serious relationship falls into the hopeless romantic category. It's possible for Ana to not have a romantic relationship and be a people pleaser. I will agree with you that she's in her early teens emotionally, but this relationship experience will help to age her quickly.

In conclusion, you can't blame a man for something that happened before he even got in contact with her.

bruce goose

Dec 27th, 2009, 04:18 AM

1. Nicole Vaidisova clearly suffered from the same imbalance. Hence she and Stepanek being on and off again, and her tennis career gone. I feel like we're neglecting the clear imbalance she had in 2008...as she chased Radek to Rome AFTER she crashed out of Berlin, and a numerous other places instead of concentrating on her own tennis. Once he was out of Wimbledon, she made the quarters...and even then she looked bored.

2. I didn't say it has toughened her up, I'm saying it will. We as a public still don't know exactly how long they've been going out as serious dating couple, but she was seen in July with him, and then again in December. Still, her results weren't THAT bad in the first half of 2009. Sure, Kleybanova at the Aussie, Szavay in Miami were bad but still: Final in Indian Wells, 4R of Roland Garros, 4R of Wimbledon, QF of Dubai and Brisbane. Those weren't bad at all. It's the second half, after that Wimbledon injury which totally shattered her confidence that her results went downhill. Adam had absolutely nothing to do with that. If they had been dating since Brisbane, shouldn't he have affected her COMPLETELY since that moment?

3. The Nadal thing, as you said, wasn't really going to be a relationship. And how much attention did she really give Fernando, if she the only reported time they dated was in Linz and the YEC, and split before the new season started? Neither one of those can be considered real relationships, as clearly she wasn't too concerned with Nadal and Verdasco barely lasted long enough to make any impact on her. And, some women could use an older man to pull them up in maturity much faster, even if this relationship doesn't last very long, she can benefit from talking with him. That's what she really needs at this moment, talking things out with someone. Adam can at least, if anything, be the venting-listening board. This really is a positive for Ana. And like I said earlier, women tend to want relationships AND careers and can settle down a little more and feel more comfortable with relationship and being able to put their tennis career aside at the very end of the day and talk with someone close to their heart.

4. It's not that irrelevant to bring up her early success. If she was really the needy type that she's being portrayed to be in your argument about her being similar to an alcoholic/drug addict when it comes to love, she would have needed it at earlier stages of her career as well. She clearly didn't, and even the hardest concentration on tennis wouldn't be able to deter someone who so desperately needs a relationship to escape the bad tennis (that year in 2006 compared to '05 and '07 in between was :help: except for Montreal and Indian Wells...two tournaments...). Being a people pleaser and needing a relationship, or being easily coaxed into one by her emotions are two very different things. People pleasers can survive on entourages of people to entertain and do well for as friends; I should know, I happen to be a people pleaser. Needing a serious relationship falls into the hopeless romantic category. It's possible for Ana to not have a romantic relationship and be a people pleaser. I will agree with you that she's in her early teens emotionally, but this relationship experience will help to age her quickly.

In conclusion, you can't blame a man for something that happened before he even got in contact with her.1.Your Vaidisova example only strengthens my argument because that's exactly who we dON'T want Ana to be.

2.They've been dating since early January,even though Adam tried his hand with Kate Hudson before,apparently,deciding to be more serious with Ana.If you think that Ana played well in 2009,then you are in an EXTREMELY small minority....I can't put it any simpler.It's hard to find individual matches where she DIDN'T suck....And I'm not blaming Adam as the root cause of Ana's problems---only saying that a dependent relationship won't help her any,will only contribute to her weak mental state.Ultimately,it is ANA's fault as SHE must decide to grow up and face her problems....and her biggest 'injury' at Wimbledon was a bruised ego cuz of Venus' total domination;she was walking normally THE NEXT DAY:rolleyes:

3.I'm not so sure that Nadal wasn't such a big deal;I'll give Rafa SOME credit in that he has genuine affection for Ana.However,she was emotionally down for a while after he went slinking back to his gf when he and Ana were caught sneaking around;I'd say that their discreet 'break-up' affected Ana a little and sort of rushed her to search for a replacement...that being Nando.....And I'd agree with you IF Adam were giving Ana sound advice,such as:'You need a full-time coach for more support' or 'Maybe you should chat with a counsellor to help you deal with some of your self-confidence issues'......but,based on what we're seeing,he's not doing that so this negates your point.On the contrary,he remained mum while Ana neglected her training while WAGging after a HORRENDOUS 2009...not exactly mature advice from an older man,is it??:rolleyes:

4.We simply disagree here;Ana was SO focused on tennis in her early years that she simply tuned out everything else.I can cite you TONS of documented cases where people who are obsessed with a goal--in Ana's case,tennis success--can block out other things only to be totally ensnared by them later.There's a mountain of anecdotal evidence from people's lives that refutes your argument here.

My fellow Elena fan,the ONLY way you're gonna convince me that this relationship is good for Ana is if (1).Ana bounces back and has success in 2010 or (2).Adam proposes to Ana and starts a family with her.....If I don't see one of those two,then I'll consider my points proven

gaviotabr

Dec 27th, 2009, 07:46 AM

I agree with this
At least Fernando wanted to prove himself when he was with Ana :lol:
It was pretty obvious at AO
The thing that worries me is that i`m not sure Ana knows how to manage well her professional and love life at the same time :o
I`m mean she still has to prove that she is capable of that

I agree with this. My main concern is that I think Ana is not showing she is mature enough to be able to have a relationship and keep the focus and intensity on tennis that being a top player demands. Like she can't do both at the same time. All this WAGing only shows she isn't really 100% focused and serious and concentrated in the hard preparation she has to put in to be able to return to her top form. I mean.. she can even be practicing hard.. if the focus isn't there, as it doesn't seem to be, there is no practice that works.

Clijsters herself, to use an used example, said she has been able to have a renewed focus on tennis. That her entourage helps her to be able to really concentrate and block everything else when she is with her tennis. So that's what I don't see with Ana. That is maturity to handle a relationship and keep focused on tennis when she needs to. Truth is.. the more time she spend with Adam, the worse her results got. Hopefully the trend will be reversed next year.

One thing though.. I don't buy into dating a professional athlete brings competition for better results. It depends on the person, and I'm not sure Ana is one of those examples. Maybe we will see it now.. Adam had a win recently.. if she has that competitive side in a relationship, she has to show a win for herself in the very near future.

What I do think is that in Fernando's case he was moved by a desire to prove to Ana and to the world he was good enough for her, to prove himself after the break up. Not a form of competition, but to make her see.. like "Look Ana, I'm a great player and I'm just fine without you!".. and make the world see it as well. I think that motivation was crucial for his great performance at AO, and as it died down, his tennis lost some of its spark too IMHO.

Izzy says that this only works for GUYS:lol:...that the woman always suck when they start dating a celeb.Maybe you two can have a catfight over this:drool:.Also,Nando was already getting two-timed at the AO so,according to our mayor,his male pride was kicking in as he wanted to prove himself.Nando would've won that match had it been played a couple months later cuz Rafa still had his artificial stamina boost from some of those PEDs he took in December 2008 while they were legal...after those first 2 months of 2009,he sure got tired awfully quickly;):p

In YOUR favor,Ana won a tournament in the Nando Era and was much more competitive even when she lost...so I think I'll sit in YOUR corner for the catfight:devil:

Hey Bruce! When did I ever say this only works with guys? I don't think I ever said that!! I really don't believe woman suck when they date a celeb.. :shrug:

When someone has pride hurt and wants to prove something, it really doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl. :shrug: And it also doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl dating a celeb or some random person.. what matter to me is if that person has the maturity to manage well both a career and the relationship, being able to find the balance to give focus to both.

gaviotabr

Dec 27th, 2009, 11:27 AM

I just saw this... It seems to be an exclusive interview with Ana from serbian Vesti.

Translation courtesy of google translator:

Ana Ivanovic: next year among the top ten

Ana Ivanovic is obvious like in Australia. Walking is, Cup, purchase, and for several years and is definitely a favorite of the local media, which is competing for her statements and photographs. After all the crises through which is passed in the year almost over, Anna says he believes this year will again be found among the top ten in the world.

About what all happened between the two series of big Australian tournaments, the Serbian tennis player story in an exclusive interview to "News".

Shoulder injury that made last year not achieve the expected results. Because you had to change and how serving. Is this a definite violation of the past?
"I do not like very much to talk about injuries, but I can say that at this moment I feel good. She took some time to recover, and last week training went well and I could serve it right."

With the injury, experts tennis last year emphasized and perhaps your mental instability as a reason for frequent defeats. Have you worked on that and more in the future if we want to hear your cry: "Come"?
"Truth to tell, I think it's best to not paying much attention to what other people say. What you try is to work on his game and that is to improve the best possible way. My main problem last year is that I'm not going out successfully the end of my disappointment - and serious violations of defeat. I am convinced that now, with more experience can successfully provided to face next year. "

No Anne no strong strong tennis team in Serbia. If there is no doubt that you'll play for Serbia and the long, realistically, could not get our team in the upcoming competitions?
"Thank you. It's just a very nice compliment, but I do not think that is quite correct. There are other good Serbian players. When we talk about the Fed Cup, for me it is a very exciting competition. I think next year we have a chance to win, although will be very difficult. It is certain that we get the toughest possible draw in the first round, which meets with Russian, and in Belgrade will be a great event. "

How many really believe that you enjoy your long break and I think that other top players should afford month vacations?
"It was very fun, lots of relaxation. I was able to spend quite time with family and friends and visit another country, Singapore. I spent also some time in Australia where I am, in early November, and began to train for new season. Certainly not believe that this kind helps break: season is long and there is always the next tournament which is to be pripremaš, but this kind of helps to break obnoviš strength and usmeriš the right goals. "

What did you set out yourself as a realistic goal in 2010. year of your return? Is it a place among the ten or five best players of the world?
"Certainly I hope to falls among the top ten, and achieved what most can not. But I do not like a lot to talk about placement. Rather like to focus on improving the game on the field. If you can improve the form, you will automatically result and standings come. In addition, more thinking to win the tournament than any place ranking list is available. "

On the tennis scene, returned to Kim Clijsters, and the New Year will be back and Žastin Henin. Will you be a difficult time punching the top?
"Sure. Žastin and Kim were recently among the best players and when they find there, then the women's tennis more sharper. This is a very exciting time for players and fans. I hope to have the opportunity to again play against both.

What do you want yourself to new 2010th year and his friend Adam?
"I certainly hope a successful year for us both."

Hey Bruce! When did I ever say this only works with guys? I don't think I ever said that!! I really don't believe woman suck when they date a celeb.. :shrug:

When someone has pride hurt and wants to prove something, it really doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl. :shrug: And it also doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl dating a celeb or some random person.. what matter to me is if that person has the maturity to manage well both a career and the relationship, being able to find the balance to give focus to both.Izzy,you were pro'bly half-joking--just like I was only teasing Jelena about the Izzy/Jelena catfight--but you posted a couple times,back when Ana was dating Nando,that only the GUY has better results when tennis players date...that the woman only gets worse...and you offered a few examples of that.

I promise that you posted SOMEthing to that effect,but I can't recall which thread it was since it was around one year ago....Doesn't matter that much since we know that it isn't ALWAYS true,but you DID post something along those lines,and so I joked with our lovely Jelena just for fun:angel:

gaviotabr

Dec 27th, 2009, 11:38 AM

Izzy,you were pro'bly half-joking--just like I was only teasing Jelena about the Izzy/Jelena catfight--but you posted a couple times,back when Ana was dating Nando,that only the GUY has better results when tennis players date...that the woman only gets worse...and you offered a few examples of that.

I promise that you posted SOMEthing to that effect,but I can't recall which thread it was since it was around one year ago....Doesn't matter that much since we know that it isn't ALWAYS true,but you DID post something along those lines,and so I joked with our lovely Jelena just for fun:angel:

I really don't remember it Bruce. I'm going to have to go look for it.. :shrug:

The only example I can think of is Vaidisova.. :shrug:

Either way, that's definitely not how I think. At least not how I think now. Weird.. :help:

jelenacg

Dec 27th, 2009, 11:40 AM

I just saw this... It seems to be an exclusive interview with Ana from serbian Vesti.

Same old :shrug:
Only thing i see new is that she said she could serve well in practices last week

bruce goose

Dec 27th, 2009, 11:42 AM

I really don't remember it Bruce. I'm going to have to go look for it.. :shrug:

The only example I can think of is Vaidisova.. :shrug:

Either way, that's definitely not how I think. At least not how I think now. Weird.. :help:Anyway,I need to leave for church two hours EARLIER now that I'm in the U.S. Eastern Time Zone on vacation,so I'll talk to you two lovely:hearts: brainiacs later......Hope you enjoyed at least one of your 'Christmas cards';):wavey:

gaviotabr

Dec 27th, 2009, 11:43 AM

Back to the Vesti interview... I'm still a bit worried about the shoulder. She says it tookk a long time to heal, and that only last week she could serve well... I mean.. she has been practicing for over a month, and only last week the practice went well serving wise? Not good.. especially when we think about the long run.. if after such a long rest the shoulder was still iffy, how will it be at the end of the season? :tape::help:

Another thing is her reply about the mental state of her game. Not everything is solved with the experience. If you don't work especifically on that, you will keep repeating the same mistakes, even if you have lots of experience. :tape: Again it seems to me she is expeciting things will just work out, fall from the skies. :tape:

jelenacg

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:00 PM

Back to the Vesti interview... I'm still a bit worried about the shoulder. She says it tookk a long time to heal, and that only last week she could serve well... I mean.. she has been practicing for over a month, and only last week the practice went well serving wise? Not good.. especially when we think about the long run.. if after such a long rest the shoulder was still iffy, how will it be at the end of the season? :tape::help:

Another thing is her reply about the mental state of her game. Not everything is solved with the experience. If you don't work especifically on that, you will keep repeating the same mistakes, even if you have lots of experience. :tape: Again it seems to me she is expeciting things will just work out, fall from the skies. :tape:

I think we can`t assume anything until we see her play :shrug:
We can only speculate
And what she means by serving well ? :confused:
No bad ball toss, serving puff balls ...or her good old serve :confused:

gaviotabr

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:02 PM

I think we can`t assume anything until we see her play :shrug:
We can only speculate
And what she means by serving well ? :confused:
No bad ball toss, serving puff balls ...or her good all serve :confused:

Yes.. I guess we will have to wait and see.. maybe she only means being able to have her old service motion again.. :shrug:

jelenacg

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:15 PM

Yes.. I guess we will have to wait and see.. maybe she only means being able to have her old service motion again.. :shrug:

I have no idea really :shrug:
Ana always say these little things and then you have to wonder what she meant :confused:
3 weeks until AO and after Brisbane she`ll have time to see and work on some things
I don`t know why but i`m optimistic

gaviotabr

Dec 27th, 2009, 12:23 PM

I have no idea really :shrug:
Ana always say these little things and then you have to wonder what she meant :confused:
3 weeks until AO and after Brisbane she`ll have time to see and work on some things
I don`t know why but i`m optimistic

:lol: It's good to be optimistic... ;) I wish I were..

It's a bit hard to understand Ana sometimes.. and we just never know with her. I still remember her saying in a diary just before LA that she was refreshed and ready to go. Nothing further from the truth.. and now she admits that after the injury at Wimbledon it was very hard for her to get going and that she had the shoulder injury to make things worse.

So we really have to just wait and see how she plays and her on court attitude.

Ana Ivanovic, the famous Serbian tennis player, has recently bought a 100-square-meter apartment in an exclusive building “Savograd” which is being built in New Belgrade. The luxurious apartment cost about 400,000 euros.
A residential-business complex “Savograd” is currently being built in block 20 in New Belgrade, between Hyatt and Delta Holding.

The part of the building with suites covering 2,200 square meters is designed as a separate building with 11 floors with five suites covering different areas, from 70 to 220 square meters. The suites include special rooms with an impressive view of New and Old Belgrade and the rivers. A tower with deluxe residential area of superior dimensions is designed as a curiosity of this project.
The building has a reception, security and 24-hour supervision. Each apartment will have several well-equipped parking places. Construction work is in the final phase and Ana’s parents, Dragana and Miroslav, have already started working on an interior design for their daughter. To remind the readers, the most beautiful tennis player bought a luxury villa in Mallorca for 4,5 million euros. The 950-square-meter villa was built in 1998 and is located on an estate which covers the area of approximately 6,000 square meters. A large living-room is on the ground floor, as well as a spacious kitchen and a dining-room, bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. Ana Ivanovic is currently is Sydney supporting her boyfriend, the famous golf player Adam Scott, who is participating in Australian Open PGA Tournament. At the same time she is preparing for the tournament in Brisbane which opens a new tennis season in January.

Ana Ivanovic, the famous Serbian tennis player, has recently bought a 100-square-meter apartment in an exclusive building “Savograd” which is being built in New Belgrade. The luxurious apartment cost about 400,000 euros.
A residential-business complex “Savograd” is currently being built in block 20 in New Belgrade, between Hyatt and Delta Holding.

The part of the building with suites covering 2,200 square meters is designed as a separate building with 11 floors with five suites covering different areas, from 70 to 220 square meters. The suites include special rooms with an impressive view of New and Old Belgrade and the rivers. A tower with deluxe residential area of superior dimensions is designed as a curiosity of this project.
The building has a reception, security and 24-hour supervision. Each apartment will have several well-equipped parking places. Construction work is in the final phase and Ana’s parents, Dragana and Miroslav, have already started working on an interior design for their daughter. To remind the readers, the most beautiful tennis player bought a luxury villa in Mallorca for 4,5 million euros. The 950-square-meter villa was built in 1998 and is located on an estate which covers the area of approximately 6,000 square meters. A large living-room is on the ground floor, as well as a spacious kitchen and a dining-room, bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. Ana Ivanovic is currently is Sydney supporting her boyfriend, the famous golf player Adam Scott, who is participating in Australian Open PGA Tournament. At the same time she is preparing for the tournament in Brisbane which opens a new tennis season in January.

It was posted a few pages back.. it's ok though..

I've read Gavin said this story is false. :shrug:

gaviotabr

Dec 28th, 2009, 12:01 PM

I think this is old.. but had we seen it? Ana was number 90 at the Celebrity 100 list at Forbes Magazine for 2009.

The Celebrity 100
#90 Ana Ivanovic - The 2009 Celebrity 100

Ivanovic won her first Grand Slam title last year at the French Open, propelling her to the No.

Ivanovic won her first Grand Slam title last year at the French Open, propelling her to the No. 1 ranking in the world before injuries derailed her during the second half of 2008. The 6-foot-1 Serb has the most visited Web site of any female sports star. Her Adidas deal expires this year; she's looking for a lifetime contract when she signs her next shoe and apparel deal.

I just saw this over Sportski Zurnal. I think it says Exclusive at the top..

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/52/sz6.jpg

дalex

Dec 29th, 2009, 02:09 PM

^ I was bored so here are the most important bits.

She joins Jelena Jankovic and Janko Tipsarevic who criticized Serbian Tennis Federation & co. 'cos even after all the success Serbian players had over the past few years, there are still no conditions for them to practice and prepare for the new season in Belgrade. She wants to help Serbia get the organization of a WTA tournament but that we need to be patient 'cos the calendar is full.

She's excited about playing in Brisbane. After the longest off season of her career she's eager to be back on the court. She misses playing tennis. She's trying not to have great expectations, but she knows she has the potential to do great.

About the AO... She says she wants to win it, but instead of thinking about it she's concentrating on her preparations. She says the competition is fierce and that there are like 10 players who could win it - Williams sisters, Clijsters, Henin, Dementieva...

Her adidas contract expires at the end of 2009 and Sportski Zurnal thinks it's still not clear whether Ana will stay with them. They have Gavin Versi's comment that they'll announce what's going on (regarding her clothing sponsorship) around New Year's time.

She says that off season preparations are very important and that they set the tone for the whole season. She says it's not a coincidence her biggest success came after the great preparations she had two years ago, also in Australia. Australia is perfect because conditions are hot and you really need to be fit.

gaviotabr

Dec 29th, 2009, 02:17 PM

^ I was bored so here are the most important bits.

She joins Jelena Jankovic and Janko Tipsarevic who criticized Serbian Tennis Federation & co. 'cos even after all the success Serbian players had over the past few years, there are still no conditions for them to practice and prepare for the new season in Belgrade. She wants to help Serbia get the organization of a WTA tournament but that we need to be patient 'cos the calendar is full.

She's excited about playing in Brisbane. After the longest off season of her career she's eager to be back on the court. She misses playing tennis. She's trying not to have great expectations, but she knows she has the potential to do great.

About the AO... She says she wants to win it, but instead of thinking about it she's concentrating on her preparations. She says the competition is fierce and that there are like 10 players who could win it - Williams sisters, Clijsters, Henin, Dementieva...

Her adidas contract expires at the end of 2009 and Sportski Zurnal thinks it's still not clear whether Ana will stay with them. They have Gavin Versi's comment that they'll announce what's going on (regarding her clothing sponsorship) around New Year's time.

She says that off season preparations are very important and that they set the tone for the whole season. She says it's not a coincidence her biggest success came after the great preparations she had two years ago, also in Australia. Australia is perfect because conditions are hot and you really need to be fit.

Thanks Alex! :yeah:

About Adidas, I think it's pretty clear, considering she has presented her adidas outfits for 2010.. :spit: But they really should make some sort of annoucement over her web to make it official.

gaviotabr

Dec 30th, 2009, 04:30 PM

New interview for serbian newspaper Vecerni Novosti. Translation by google:

I dream Grand Slam titles
Nebojsa Mandrapa, 30.12.2009 20:49:52

Cup Roland Garros Ana Ivanovic was raised to the stars. That night, at the end of June 2008. in Paris, has become not only the queen of world tennis, but also a subject of admiration of almost all white sports fans. Today, a year and a half later, and 20 places below the rank list, Anna does not think about titles. As he says, it is important to restore the former form and preserve health - cups and sales should come by themselves. However, dreams no one can seize her, and Anna has them to spare. The exclusive stories for the "News", the Serbian tennis princess, among other things, reveals what imagination and what you would like it to happen later in his career.
- My main dream is to win more Grand Slam! I want to win cups in all, the biggest competitions before they finish a tennis career. I believe that it is not without foundation and have the quality to do that - said Ivanovic.
* What, specifically, your goal in 2010?
- More thinking about how to restore the old form, but on the goals related to the placement, or even related to the eventual winning the tournament. If you fix the game, it will automatically search and placement to come. But, bearing that in mind, it's important for me to qualify for the Sony Ericsson championships in Doha, which means I have to finish among the top eight. But that does not mean that my only aim to be in the top eight - I want to end the reception at the highest possible place.
* In what part of the season you plan to raise your level of tennis to a maximum of?
- Always try to reach the top of the Grand helmet, because it is obvious that these are the most important competition. I hope to be in good shape for the Fed Cup and also because we will first play in the elite group.
* Russia will probably come to Belgrade without Safin
(withdrew), Zvonareva, while the arrival Sharapova uncertain?
- Russia is a very powerful country. Even if those players do not come to Belgrade, there are more Petrova and Dementieva, who are top players. I'm sure we will not be easy no matter who is in their team. I will try to concentrate on yourself and not thinking too much about the opponents, because we can only control your game, tennis and not others.
* What is the schedule of tournaments that you'll play next year?
- Last year I made the layout fairly early, because I was placed in the top six on the WTA list. Therefore, there are a few rules and restrictions regarding the tournaments where I can participate. The next season, however, will be much more flexible, and will not need much advance planning. I have a clear picture of exactly where I will play, but I can say that my plan will not be much different from that of last year.
* Trying to return to the top of WTA list, you change almost everything. Have you ever thought that "change" people around you?
- No, it never discussed such a possibility. They do an incredible job and support me. I am very happy to have such dedicated and capable management team.
* The Indian Wells defend two-thirds points. If you do not reach the finals again will fall on the list?
- It does not affect my plans at all. They do not think about the points that need to defend. Frankly, even I do not know how much I have won in Indian Wells. Instead, I concentrated on improving my game.
* What will be your greatest virtue, or force the following year?
- It is obvious that it will be a greater experience, which can only help me. Also, I am very motivated to
achieve good results. Can not wait to once again begin to compete.
* What can be your weakness in 2010?
- It is important that next year better relate to the problems than it was in 2009. Then I did not react well to disappointment: I too thought about them. Also, when I was injured, I managed to turn off. It is important to me is to avoid it in the next season - concludes Ivanovic, that the first challenge on the ground, but expects 4th January, in Brisbane.

Surf ALL BETTER
* Have you finally learned to surf?
- My surfing is better, but still did not beat a technique that I wanted! It is clear that train very hard, and I do not have enough time to focus on matters outside the courts. I was a little shopping, ran into some good restaurants, and that's it, really. Simply put, time and enjoy the beauty of Australia.

:bigcry: at Petrova and Dementieva. I'm sure Ana would rather play Safina rather than Dementieva any time. :hysteric:

FAMK

Jan 2nd, 2010, 11:23 AM

Ivanovic ready to hit back

Ana Ivanovic has been everywhere and nowhere at the Brisbane International this year.

The first lady of Serbian tennis (arguably) adorns various promotional materials around the site and city. Cardboard cut outs of the former No.1 jump out at fans as they roam the Queensland Tennis Centre, while numerous posters and billboards around Brisbane feature her.

Earlier today Ivanovic graced the Pat Rafter Arena court for her first practice hit since landing in the country in December.

Despite dropping down the rankings (she’s currently ranked No.21), Ivanovic remains a major drawcard . And while last year she headed the women’s field, this year she is jostling for space alongside comeback queens Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, and popular Australians Alicia Molik, Casey Dellacqua and Jelena Dokic.

Speaking exclusively to brisbaneinternational.com.au, Ivanovic said that despite having a quiet 2009, she’s happy to again be starting her year in the Queensland capital.

“I had a good time in Brisbane last year. I felt that there was a lot of excitement about the new tournament, and the facility is one of the best I have played in,” she says.

“The organisation was also very good [and] there was a positive feeling to the tournament, which I liked.”
Last year Ivanovic made it to the quarterfinals in Brisbane, but it was bumpy journey for the clean-hitting Serbian, which would ultimately come to mirror her 2009 year.

“It was definitely a season to forget! I had many disappointments and I’m just glad it’s over,” she confides.
Ivanovic says that she hopes to once again lift her game to the heights it reached in 2008 – the year she won her only major to date and claimed the top spot in the women’s rankings.

To get her career back on track, Ivanovic has reunited with former coach Sven Groenefeld who she has been training with at her Sunshine Beach training base.

As always, there will be a lot of interest surrounding Ivanovic as she begins her climb back up the rankings after finishing 2009 ranked No.22. But don’t expect Ivanovic to be reading any of her own press.

“I don’t follow the media – I don’t like to read about myself, and I’m sure that helps. I leave that to others!
“I have a lot of interests outside tennis and I prefer to spend time on those, instead of reading about tennis.”

Unfortunately for Ana, there will be a higher than usual amount of focus on her first-round match at the Brisbane International – versus Australia’s Jelena Dokic, another player who is perhaps even more accustomed to the harsh glare of the media spotlight.

It’s this focus on Ivanovic’s life – both professional and personal that the 22 year old laments as the most difficult thing about being a tennis player.

“Unfortunately I’ve lost some of my privacy. It’s not something I am happy about, but it’s something you have to accept and just get on with it.”

Clijsters also looks to have prepared well, mixing her time on court with taking her daughter Jada for swims at Brisbane's "lagoon" beach at South Bank.

A 2004 finalist at Melbourne Park when she lost a three-setter to Henin, the Belgian is hoping to repeat her US Open success for another grand slam this month.

She has a 10-12 career record against her compatriot and expects Henin will be capable of emulating her own efforts of winning a grand slam as an unranked wildcard in her third tournament back from premature retirement.

"Obviously Justine is right up there," Clijsters said.

"Knowing her from the past I assume she's been training really hard to be back where she was a few years ago and her attitude, she's always been a really professional athlete and that does not change."

Clijsters hasn't put a ranking ambition on 2010, preferring to target grand slam events in a scaled down schedule of 14 tournaments.

"Now that I'm a little bit older and hopefully wiser I think that I've created a schedule for myself that I can aim for the big tournaments, and all the tournaments that I'm playing at the moment," she said.

"The Australian Open has always been the tournament I love playing and if I could do well and win it one day it would be great.

"Physically I feel really good which is something that's a big difference to a few years ago when I always seemed to have a little injury going on or a big one."

This one has me excited now, too bad I'll be at work when the match is on :(

Isha312

Jan 4th, 2010, 08:46 PM

From a Jon Wertheim article:

6. Speaking of returning to where she once belonged, 2010 is a big year for Ana Ivanovic. On the cover of her recent Christmas card, Ivanovic included a photo of herself next to the caption "Oops." It was an endearing bit of self-deprecation, an admission that 2009 was one big pratfall. She may never reclaim the top ranking she held briefly in 2008. But she is too good a player and too potent a ballstriker to reside outside the top 20, as she currently does.

It was midnight (AEST) when Ivanovic strolled into the post-match press conference with an ice pack strapped to her right shoulder, which she insisted was just precautionary, following her hard-fought 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory over unseeded Swiss Timea Bacsinszky.

With high-profile boyfriend Adam Scott watching, the third-seeded Ivanovic was cruising before her serve percentage dropped, allowing Bacsinszky back into the match.

But she displayed plenty of grit and tenacity to wrestle her way back into the match and then close it out.

“I felt like I wasn’t moving forward enough and putting pressure on her,” said world No.21 Ivanovic.

She will certainly have to step up a few gears to beat seven-time major champion Henin, provided she can safely negotiate a quarterfinal clash with either Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Italy’s Roberta Vinci.

“Am I in that part of the draw?” she innocently asked when questioned about taking on Henin.

“It would be nice to play against her. She hasn’t been competing for a year-and-a-half and I haven’t played too many matches lately.

“It’s going to be a good test to see where I’m at and where’s she’s at.”

Ivanovic missed Henin’s first round victory over second seed Nadia Petrova on Monday but she did get a glimpse of the Belgian’s form via television news highlights.

“She looks fit and in good shape,” said Ivanovic, whose 2009 was marred by injuries.

“She looks confident and she hit some really good shots.”

Asked whether she was ready to defeat Henin, 2008 French Open champion Ivanovic replied: “Yeah, definitely.

“Tomorrow [Wednesday] I have the day off so I can recover and do some light practice, and maybe watch some tennis.”

Ivanovic, dubbed “Aussie Ana” for her link to Queensland top golfer Scott, is relishing the support she’s receiving from the Brisbane crowds.

“I felt hyped up and full of energy out there,” said Ivanovic, who ousted Australian Jelena Dokic in the first round.

I don't like that at all. :rolleyes: Last thing she should be thinking about is playing Henin. There's no guarantee she'll beat Pavlyuchenkova or Vinci at all. I mean she did have to save match against Vinci here last year, and Pavlyuchenkova seems to be playing pretty well.

doni1212

Jan 5th, 2010, 08:19 PM

I don't think she said "Yeah, definitely" in regards to being ready to defeat Henin.

They're switching her words around.

Curtos07

Jan 8th, 2010, 08:32 PM

Not sure what they define as a "comeback" at the Australian Open. First of all, we don't know what Ana's draw will look like which will be significant in how her chances will be in terms of how far she can go. I think the most realistic expectation anyone can have for Ana at this point is a 4th round appearance or maybe the quarters with a decent draw and some good play from her.

Ana Ivanovic looking good for comeback at the Australian open
By Mark Hodgkinson
Published: 6:28PM GMT 08 Jan 2010

This should start a small protest bonfire of sports bras. If you had visited the website for the WTA Tour on Friday you would have been asked to vote for Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova in an online men’s magazine’s list of the world’s most attractive women.

“Support Maria and Ana by voting right now,” implored the WTA. “AskMen.com has been compiling the most desirable women list since 2001, and the highest a tennis player was ever placed was No31, back in 2006, with Sharapova receiving that honour. This year, let’s try to push Sharapova or Ivanovic into the top 30 – vote now.”

Just imagine the pride that Billie Jean King, the founder of the women’s tour, who successfully campaigned for equal prize money, will feel if Ivanovic or Sharapova can break into the top 30. MTV appear to have hijacked the WTA.

While good looks might help a tennis player win beauty-queen sashes – a German tabloid, Bild, once gave Ivanovic an award for coming top in a readers’ survey in the “best body” category – it does not do much for you on court, unless you are going to start counting blushing ball boys.

In 2008, Ivanovic and Sharapova met in the 'Glam Slam’ Australian Open final, for what was the most telegenic grand slam title-match of all time.

Yet Sharapova, who won that 2008 final in Melbourne, ended up missing half of the 2009 season as she recuperated from an operation to her shoulder, and Ivanovic, who in 2008 held the No1 ranking and won her first grand slam at the French Open, had an ugly, dreadful 2009.

Ivanovic sent a a New Year greetings card with a picture of herself on the front and one word floating above her head: “Oops.”

“It felt as though I was going from one disappointment to another last season,” said Ivanovic, who finished the year outside the top 20.

"Maybe in 2010 the 'desirable’ tennis players, Ivanovic and Sharapova, will be back challenging for grand slams again, perhaps as soon as the Australian Open, which starts a week on Monday.

This month’s comeback story in the women’s game is that of Justine Henin, a former World No1 who retired 20 months ago. But Ivanovic feels as though she is on a mini-comeback.

She 'shut down’ last season in September, so when she returned to the Brisbane International this week, it was her first competitive tennis for more than three months. Henin yesterday beat Ivanovic in the semi-finals in Brisbane.

“Yeah, in some ways I do feel as though I’m on a comeback, because I had a long break, probably the longest break of my career so far, I think,” said Ivanovic. “I was very, very motivated to get competing again. I’ve missed it, for sure.”

If Ivanovic goes deep into the draw at Melbourne Park, some of the credit for her run should go to Adam Scott, the Australian golfer and the 22 year-old’s boyfriend.

Like Ivanovic, Scott had an 'oops’ sort of season last year. “I always want Adam to do well. But it has helped in some ways, having someone who knew what I was going through, without any words spoken,” she said. “I have played golf with Adam a few times. I really enjoy it, but it’s not an easy sport. Adam plays tennis, and he is very good, actually, and a big fan of the sport.”

Tennis would not have been particularly pleasant viewing for Scott during Ivanovic’s “year to forget”, when she failed to go beyond the fourth round at any of the slams, and did not win a title.

“There were many frustrating moments, but probably the moment that sticks out the most is Wimbledon,” said the world No 21.

“I felt that I was turning the corner, especially after my performance against Sam Stosur in the third round.

"But then I got injured against Venus Williams in the fourth round and it meant that I wasn’t able to have a break, because I had to do recovery work before my next tournaments. Unfortunately I fell back and it affected my confidence.

"I was getting a lot of small injuries. I didn’t deal with it very well, but I’m sure that next time I will cope much better, and I’ll actually avoid many of these kind of injuries.”

If Scott’s support has helped, so has her decision to stop reading the works of Sigmund Freud – all that psychoanalysis was doing nothing for her tennis. “I’ve learnt how to deal with disappointments better. I certainly had enough of them. The most important thing is to accept the limitations that injuries cause, and not to get too down when I cannot produce my best form.”

She hopes to qualify for the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, which are restricted to the top eight players, but, more than anything, she wants to win another slam.

The likeable, good-natured Ivanovic will not lack supporters in Melbourne, especially now she is known as 'Aussie Ana’ thanks to her relationship with Scott.

When Belgium’s Kim Clijsters was engaged to Lleyton Hewitt, she was 'Aussie Kim’. The Australian tennis public like to adopt smiley foreign female tennis players, and now the 'Aussie’ prefix has passed to the young woman from Belgrade.

“I find it funny and flattering,” said Ivanovic, who spent Christmas with Scott in his native Queensland.

“There are so many contenders for the Australian Open this year, with at least 10 players capable of winning it. Obviously Serena Williams has to be the main favourite because she always does well there, and has won so many grand slams.

"But, yeah, I think there are many players who can win it, and I believe I’m one of them.” Turn inside Ivanovic’s seasonal card, and on the other side of the “Oops” photo caption she writes: “New year, new chance.”

Ana Ivanovic is rarely less than cheerful, but there were times during a challenging 2009 season when she looked as though the burden of talent and expectation was clouding the normally sunny skies around her.

Ivanovic is such a genial personality that she still smiled through a good deal of last season, even when she was bundled out of grand slam tournaments early and found her progress slowed by both a nagging shoulder injury and indifferent form.

The woman who swept all before her in the wake of her run to the 2008 Australian Open final and victory at the 2008 Roland Garros suddenly looked unsure, vulnerable and shorn of confidence.

The good news for Ivanovic’s army of fans, many of whom are here in Australia, is that there are promising signs for her from this week’s Brisbane International. She overcame a difficult first round draw against Jelena Dokic and Thursday saw her beat talented young Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the semifinals of the star-studded event.

She has been anything but flawless but she is winning matches and that is not to be taken for granted after months of doing the opposite. “Last year I had a lot of close matches, a lot of three-setters and I lost most of them, so it's good to have wins like that to build my confidence and feed off that,” she said.

Ivanovic’s ball-toss is still a little bit ropey, probably as a result of the shoulder problems, but the first serve has plenty of zip when she gets it right.

There is also something rather fitting about a player repeatedly tossing and catching the ball before serving, as did popular Queenslander Pat Rafter, for whom the Brisbane centre court is named, who accompanied each false ball toss with the catchphrase, “Sorry, mate".

Ivanovic doesn’t say “Sorry, mate” but her Ausophile credentials are such that she might just as well. Ivanovic already endeared herself to the Australian public thanks to her warmth of personality, but having relatives in Melbourne helped earn her the soubriquet “Aussie Ana” and her relationship with Antipodean golfer Adam Scott has her locked in as an adopted daughter.

There can be no better place for Ivanovic to recapture her top form than Australia, where the courts, the climate and the crowd are all on her side.

Ivanovic could face Justine Henin in the semifinals, which will be a further test of her rebuilt confidence. The presence of Henin and fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters means that this Australian Open is all about comebacks but Ivanovic’s Lady Lazarus act might turn out to be the happiest return of all.

Curtos07

Jan 9th, 2010, 08:05 PM

Ana has a new diary in the Australian Heraldsun. She seems pretty comfortable and open talking about Adam here, something we haven't seen much of from Ana in the past. She usually is so private about this stuff. You know it's serious when she discusses Adam without a reporter asking her about it.

Back on court and loving every minute

IT'S been a thrilling start to the season. I can't over-emphasis how much I missed competing over the past few months.

I had my longest off-season and simply couldn't wait to get back on court.

I went into the Brisbane International with no expectations, because it was hard to know how I would perform after being away for three months.

I'm happy with my progress, although disappointed with my performance against Justine Henin in the semis.

Justine is such a great player; the fact she and Kim Clijsters contested the final shows its possible to have a long career if you manage it properly - both of them are in their late 20s now.

I don't see myself retiring and then coming back. Without knowing either player particularly well, I think I can still understand why they came back: they love to compete.

The tournament was perfect preparation for a grand slam, because I experienced almost every match situation. I think it will help develop my match nerves, going into Melbourne.

I had a really nice time off the court in Brisbane, too. While my management was not here, my whole family, my coaches and my boyfriend Adam Scott were.

In many ways it was like Wimbledon, which is the tournament where most players rent houses rather than staying in hotels: I stayed in an apartment and was able to relax a lot more than if I had been in a hotel.

I enjoyed my mum's cooking and just taking it easy in the evenings, reading and watching DVDs.

The movie Sliding Doors was fascinating to me. I really love this idea of destiny and things happening for a reason. I dream that one day I'll win the Australian Open, but I know it doesn't have anything to do with fate: it's about hard work and playing my best tennis.

I tend to enjoy tournaments more when my whole team is with me: we have a lot of fun and it helps me relax and actually not think so much about tennis.

This week I did all the things to ensure I was properly prepared, but I was able to take my mind off the tennis a lot better because I spent so much time with Adam and my family, and I think that helped.

Adam's support is helpful: he and I understand what each other goes through in our sports.

I'm looking forward to getting on the court again in Melbourne, but first I have to work on a few things in practice!

Where is Bruce to tell me they don`t even have a real relationship when i said that she is very much in love with Adam :hearts::hearts: which wasn`t the case with Fernando :p:lol:

Curtos07

Jan 9th, 2010, 08:20 PM

I just saw it :haha:

my boyfriend Adam Scott - that was funny to read :lol::lol:

Where is Bruce to tell me they don`t even have a real relationship when i said that she is very much in love with Adam :hearts::hearts: which wasn`t the case with Fernando :p:lol:

:lol: When she was with Nando, it seemed as if she pretended she wasn't even dating him at times. :lol: She has changed a lot since then. She definitely is in love. :hearts:

jelenacg

Jan 9th, 2010, 08:29 PM

:lol: When she was with Nando, it seemed as if she pretended she wasn't even dating him at times. :lol: She has changed a lot since then. She definitely is in love. :hearts:

Of course she is :lol:
Walking around golf courses for 4h or 5h :rolleyes:
I don`t think she change it`s just different.With Fernando it was something meaningless even she said she is not in love. :spit:
Adam is another story :hehehe:

bruce goose

Jan 10th, 2010, 04:35 AM

I just saw it :haha:

my boyfriend Adam Scott - that was funny to read :lol::lol:

Where is Bruce to tell me they don`t even have a real relationship when i said that she is very much in love with Adam :hearts::hearts: which wasn`t the case with Fernando :p:lol:Jelena,I definitely agree now that it's more serious with Adam than it was with Nando,but your rational side must admit that you don't have the first clue on how strong their relationship supposedly is...what happens when the glow wears off and they have their first big argument(you didn't even stop to think of that,did you?Wink,wink).From December 2008,when she started cheating on Nando,to the present...they've pro'bly spent a grand total of 2 or 3 months together...so you'll have to forgive me if I'm not bowled over by this 'epic' relationship(lol times 3).You've said it yourself that Ana is immature,and I personally don't think she's at a point in her life where she can even distinguish between attraction and true love;like LOTS of young girls,she allows her emotions to do her thinking for her.

Ana is more like a teenager--she's less mature than Caro who's 3 years younger--and Adam is more like a 30-something guy.They're at COMPLETELY different stages in their lives.Having said that,Adam is FINALLY showing signs of being helpful instead of parasitic,so I have no objection to their relationship unless it changes in a way that hurts Ana deeply.I doubt that Adam would do anything hurtful on PURPOSE;it would be a case where he simply couldn't figure out the stages that Ana was moving thru since he's so much older in mindset

jelenacg

Jan 10th, 2010, 10:08 PM

Jelena,I definitely agree now that it's more serious with Adam than it was with Nando,but your rational side must admit that you don't have the first clue on how strong their relationship supposedly is...what happens when the glow wears off and they have their first big argument(you didn't even stop to think of that,did you?Wink,wink).From December 2008,when she started cheating on Nando,to the present...they've pro'bly spent a grand total of 2 or 3 months together...so you'll have to forgive me if I'm not bowled over by this 'epic' relationship(lol times 3).You've said it yourself that Ana is immature,and I personally don't think she's at a point in her life where she can even distinguish between attraction and true love;like LOTS of young girls,she allows her emotions to do her thinking for her.

Ana is more like a teenager--she's less mature than Caro who's 3 years younger--and Adam is more like a 30-something guy.They're at COMPLETELY different stages in their lives.Having said that,Adam is FINALLY showing signs of being helpful instead of parasitic,so I have no objection to their relationship unless it changes in a way that hurts Ana deeply.I doubt that Adam would do anything hurtful on PURPOSE;it would be a case where he simply couldn't figure out the stages that Ana was moving thru since he's so much older in mindset

No i didn`t :spit:

I`m not that interested in her love life i just want her to be happy :p
I`m sure they had more than 1 fight in all this time
And ofc i don`t know how strong is their relationship :rolleyes: but i know what i see ,and i see that Ana cares for him a lot ;)

bruce goose

Jan 10th, 2010, 10:40 PM

No i didn`t :spit:

I`m not that interested in her love life i just want her to be happy :p
I`m sure they had more than 1 fight in all this time
And ofc i don`t know how strong is their relationship :rolleyes: but i know what i see ,and i see that Ana cares for him a lot ;):lol:The only fight they might have had pro'bly dealt with Kate Hudson.Ana is so helplessly infatuated with Adam that he'd have to do something REALLY stupid for her to get pissed,and I'd say that he's sharp enough--sharper than Nando,for sure--to avoid the obvious Ana 'hot spots'...such as suggesting that she needs counselling...or a full-time coach.

....And I'd like to see the same as you,Jelena,but I wanna catch more than just a few smiles...heck,Ana smiled when the SEAL kissed her yet I don't think that she and the seal have long-term prospects:lol:.I want to see Ana GROW and mature as a person;that's what true love helps someone do--I've seen it in lots of other people.So far,there's not much evidence of that in Ana;she still runs from her problems by using denial as a crutch.Maybe...and I emphasize MAYBE...Adam can strengthen Ana over time though,ultimately,she must decide HERSELF if she's willing to confront her psychological hang-ups.Nevertheless,if Adam supports Ana thru this,then I'll support HIM,too....I think that's fair of me:p:angel:

Curtos07

Jan 10th, 2010, 11:29 PM

:lol:The only fight they might have had pro'bly dealt with Kate Hudson.Ana is so helplessly infatuated with Adam that he'd have to do something REALLY stupid for her to get pissed,and I'd say that he's sharp enough--sharper than Nando,for sure--to avoid the obvious Ana 'hot spots'...such as suggesting that she needs counselling...or a full-time coach.

....And I'd like to see the same as you,Jelena,but I wanna catch more than just a few smiles...heck,Ana smiled when the SEAL kissed her yet I don't think that she and the seal have long-term prospects:lol:.I want to see Ana GROW and mature as a person;that's what true love helps someone do--I've seen it in lots of other people.So far,there's not much evidence of that in Ana;she still runs from her problems by using denial as a crutch.Maybe...and I emphasize MAYBE...Adam can strengthen Ana over time though,ultimately,she must decide HERSELF if she's willing to confront her psychological hang-ups.Nevertheless,if Adam supports Ana thru this,then I'll support HIM,too....I think that's fair of me:p:angel:

:lol: Bruce, give it up already. You seem to know everything about what goes on in their relationship. Ana is in love with him. :hearts: She's 22 and she is mature enough to know who is right for her. If Adam wasn't Mr. Right, then they would of have broken a long time ago, instead of dating each other for a full year. I don't know what else she needs to do to prove she is in love and that this is a true relationship. She even is more open about this relationship than she was in the past, in a very thoughtful way. She is a very smart girl, she knows what she is doing.

And I seen NO evidence of her being in denial lately. In the past, maybe, but in recent months she has been real and open about the problems she is dealing with. I seen a lot of evidence of growing maturity from her, and so have many others. I'm not sure what you're seeing that we are not. :shrug:

bruce goose

Jan 11th, 2010, 12:02 AM

:lol: Bruce, give it up already. You seem to know everything about what goes on in their relationship. Ana is in love with him. :hearts: She's 22 and she is mature enough to know who is right for her. If Adam wasn't Mr. Right, then they would of have broken a long time ago, instead of dating each other for a full year. I don't know what else she needs to do to prove she is in love and that this is a true relationship. She even is more open about this relationship than she was in the past, in a very thoughtful way. She is a very smart girl, she knows what she is doing.

And I seen NO evidence of her being in denial lately. In the past, maybe, but in recent months she has been real and open about the problems she is dealing with. I seen a lot of evidence of growing maturity from her, and so have many others. I'm not sure what you're seeing that we are not. :shrug:And,as I told Jelena,you don't have the first clue what's really the case in that relationship...unless you are as naive as Ana,or have the omniscience to read minds:lol:...which you seem to indicate.My observations are only empirical...you know what facts are,right?;)Even some other Adam worshippers like yourself have commented that Ana appeared to have a difficult stretch finding a balance in her personal and tennis life,and she's in a very small group of WTAers who have that problem.Her results during the Adam Era have been her worst EVER and,while she is mostly to blame,it's perfectly fair to surmise that the relationship has contributed to that slump.

It doesn't really matter that much whether you agree with me or not,so I'll make a proposition for you:Ask an impartial fan--who neither follows NOR hates Ana--if they associate the word 'maturity' with her....You'll be waiting a LONG time for someone who agrees with you;you're in a minuscule minority who feels that way.Ana STILL refuses to acknowledge that she needs coaching,she is STILL often a basket case on court,and she STILL gets defensive when anyone dares to ask an honest question about her tactics...when you find some concrete signs of growth instead of empty blather,then you just let me know:lol:.Apparently,you're employing selective math and ignoring reality,that they've likely spent less than 3 months together when you factor in all the time apart.

In the end,the truth will manifest itself in Ana's life;maybe she can find fulfillment with a much older man...and maybe not.For now,Ana is an immature girl who's satisfied with anyone who strokes her fragile emotional state.Fortunately,Adam isn't a malevolent guy,but I'm not caught up in the silly hype:two attractive people automatically make the perfect couple....I'm just glad that attractive serial killer Ted Bundy didn't meet Ana while he was on his killing spree....You'd pro'bly see Ana smiling and say,"Wow!What a GREAT couple they are!":eek::eek:....Like I've said,TRUE love strenghtens people,so Ana should eventually overcome her old hangups if she's TRULY maturing as a person...she hasn't done so yet...she still uses her injuries as an excuse

Marilyn Monheaux

Jan 11th, 2010, 04:52 AM

Back on court and loving every minute

IT'S been a thrilling start to the season. I can't over-emphasis how much I missed competing over the past few months.

...

I had a really nice time off the court in Brisbane, too. While my management was not here, my whole family, my coaches and my boyfriend Adam Scott were.

...

I enjoyed my mum's cooking and just taking it easy in the evenings, reading and watching DVDs.
:drool:
The movie Sliding Doors was fascinating to me. I really love this idea of destiny and things happening for a reason. I dream that one day I'll win the Australian Open, but I know it doesn't have anything to do with fate: it's about hard work and playing my best tennis.

This week I did all the things to ensure I was properly prepared, but I was able to take my mind off the tennis a lot better because I spent so much time with Adam and my family, and I think that helped.

Adam's support is helpful: he and I understand what each other goes through in our sports.

I'm looking forward to getting on the court again in Melbourne, but first I have to work on a few things in practice!

Nice column from Ana. She had me laughing hard right when she wrote "thrilling"!:rolls:

SOA_MC

Jan 11th, 2010, 03:53 PM

Ana: I dream of winning Melbourne

Ana Ivanovic came as far as the semi-finals at the last week’s WTA event in Brisbane, Australia, when she was downed by Justine Henin. Despite the defeat to the Belgian comeback queen, Ivanovic is pleased with her performances at the start of the 2010 season on the women’s tour, and announcing an exciting year of tennis ahead.

The Serb has said she could hardly wait to get back to playing competitive matches.
“This was my longest break ever and I finally wanted to get back to playing tennis. I didn’t harbour any big expectations ahead of Brisbane, but all things considered, I am happy with the way I have improved. However, I must admit I was a bit disappointed with my performance against Henin.”

The return of the Belgian stars – Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin – from retirement will most certainly contribute to the excitement and added competitive edge of the forthcoming tournaments.

“Justine is a great player. The fact she and Kim battled out the final only goes to show how long a career can last if it’s managed properly. They are both in their late twenties. I don’t see myself retiring and then coming back to playing tennis, but I think I know why they both did it – they like to compete,” said Ivanovic.
Ana had a fine opportunity in Brisbane to prepare for the upcoming Australian Open event in Melbourne.
“It was a perfect run-in before the Grand Slam, as I found myself in diverse situations during the matches. I also had a great time here in Brisbane off the court. I have my family, coaches, and boyfriend behind me. This place reminds me in many respects of Wimbledon, because players here prefer to rent a house than stay at hotels. I rented a flat and rested better than I would have in a hotel. I enjoyed my mom’s cuisine, read a lot and watched movies,” said Ana.
The Serbian star has played a prominent role at the Melbourne event for years. Her biggest achievement was in 2008, when she was defeated in the final by Maria Sharapova.

“I dream of lifting the Australian Open trophy. I know it has nothing to do with fate – it’s all down to hard work and you have to play at your best in order to achieve this.

first Dubai ,Feb 14-20 then Malaysian open
I think this is a good idea she`ll get to play more matches before Indian Wells
If this is true she`ll have busy schedule

InsideOut.

Jan 12th, 2010, 01:24 AM

Dementieva and Justine :scared:

jelenacg

Jan 12th, 2010, 01:31 AM

Dementieva and Justine :scared:

So you think she is done with early exits ;)
I like your optimism :)

InsideOut.

Jan 12th, 2010, 02:06 AM

...

Same quotes rehashed into a new article. That means she's not giving many interviews, and is probably practising hard. :D

So you think she is done with early exits ;)
I like your optimism :)

:tape:

Curtos07

Jan 12th, 2010, 02:41 AM

Playing more tournaments will allow Ana more opportunities to find her form and build confidence. Glad she is deciding to possibly got his route, I hope. :) Also will allow her to collect more ranking points which will be important come time for Indian Wells where she has a bunch to defend. It's going to be difficult to defend them all again so picking up points here and there will certainly help keep that ranking respectable or raise it.

bruce goose

Jan 12th, 2010, 04:10 AM

Ana is certainly not a head case in the most clinical sense,but it seems clear that she goes through negative,self-defeating thought processes during matches.MAYBE she can find the answers within herself though,if not,I hope that her bad experience with all that subjective Freudian crap doesn't jade her against the idea of having a counsellor on board who has a sports background.

There's no shame in this at all,and there have been some superb,champion athletes who have done this.For NOW,it's like our Jelena said,'baby steps'...but if and when Ana DOES come close to her previous level,it'll be time for some steps to make her mentally stronger so that she can handle the pressure of being a top-ranked player...unless,as I said,she manages to locate those answers internally

Curtos07

Jan 12th, 2010, 11:09 PM

insidetennis.com had a great overview of the past decade in tennis. Lot sof interesting stuff to read there. They listed the top ten players for both the ATP and WTA of the 2000's and somewhat surprisingly, Ana made the lsit.

THE WOMEN
1. Serena Williams: Lights out best player. But could she have been better?
2. Justine Henin: Wimbledon only feather missing in considerable Grand Slam cap.
3. Venus Williams: Second best player in the family, third best of the decade.
4. Maria Sharapova: Loud ‘n lovely leader of The Russian Revolution.
5. Jennifer Capriati: Poster child for burnout had up and down career (and three Slams).
6. Amelie Mauresmo: Wilted in Parisian spotlight, but bagged two Slams in ‘06.
7. Kim Clijsters: Two years removed from game proved she still has it with mother of a win at USO.
8. Lindsay Davenport: Wins first Slam of decade. Has fab run. Camps at No. 1, but wins no more Slams.
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova: ‘09 RG champ no longer a one-Slam winner.
10. Ana Ivanovic: Sorry, Hingis, Pierce, Myskina and Jankovic — AI reached No. 1, won RG (and our hearts).

I love the last part. :hearts:

BEST YEAR: 2008
I think most of us here can agree with this. :lol:

GO FIGURE: In the end, for Andre, “emotion was everything”…The Williamses, who were criticized for their lack of commitment, are crafting lengthy careers…Neither Agassi nor Venus have the best tennis records in their families…In ‘06, Fed got the closest of any guy to win the Grand Slam since Laver in ‘69…In ‘02 and ‘03 Williams won the Serena Slam…Borg put his Wimbledon trophies and rackets up for sale…Mahesh Bhupathi’s wedding drew 6,000 guests, but his split from Leander Paes was the most bitter on-court divorce of the decade…Lleyton Hewitt — the most feisty and litigious player of the decade — was once engaged to Kim Clijsters, who, with Ana Ivanovic, was the sweetest stars of the decade…Just as tennis was working to quiet fears of gambling, numerous casinos sponsored or hosted tourneys.

Couldn't agree more with the bolded part. Pretty much sums up the reason why Ana and Kim are two of my favorite WTA players.

Many more interesting stuff there. Check it out.
http://www.insidetennis.com/2010/01/decade-tennis/

“I always feel nervous before a match, but I think it’s positive nerves – it shows that you care about it a lot,” she tells australianopen.com ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the new year, Australian Open 2010.

In 2009, one could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps nerves got the better of Ivanovic on several occasions. The former world No.1 and 2008 French Open champion failed to win a tournament for the entire season, with her best showing a final at Indian Wells.

Not since 2004 has the Serbian on-court favourite gone through a year without a WTA title victory. But according to Ivanovic, that’s all in the past.

“I want to find my old form and compete more against the top players. My goal is always to win Grand Slams and I believe I can do it [this season],” she says.

Stepping on to Margaret Court Arena today for a practice hit, Ivanovic looked comfortable as she eased into training.

As fellow former world No.1 Rafael Nadal looked on from the sidelines after finishing his practice session, Ivanovic spent her allotted time fine-tuning her groundstrokes ahead of the main draw, which begins on Monday.

With the Melbourne city skyline looking on approvingly over the top of the Margaret Court Arena grandstand, Ivanovic crunched several forehands down the line.

It was only two short years ago that Ivanovic made the Australian Open final famously dubbed the ‘Glam Slam’ with statuesque Russian Maria Sharapova.

Since then, much has changed for Ivanovic. Already a favourite around the world, her star outshone the rest in 2008 as she won the French Open and then climbed the rankings summit. But she couldn’t maintain the pace, and she now sits just outside the top 20.

To counter this, she has reunited with former coach Sven Groeneveld, who she hopes will be able to help her find that old form she misplaced some time in 2009.

And while her coach may have changed, her approach to matches has not, and Ivanovic insists that she will not change her pre-match routine.

“At that moment [before stepping on court] I am focusing on the match. After so many years of playing, I have my own preparation routine,” she explains.

“After doing my warm-up in the gym with my coach I like to be alone in the locker room. I listen to music on my iPod and sometimes I play Sudoku. It relaxes me. I focus only on the match ahead, and that’s what I’m thinking about just before I get on court.”

Another thing that won’t be changing for Ivanovic any time soon is the saturation media coverage that threatens to drown her at every stop on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

“I try not to think about that [the media attention]. It’s part of the job and I try to take each new interview or photo shoot as a new experience,” she says.

“Interviews can sometimes be very interesting because you are asked questions that you have never asked yourself before, and that causes you to think.”

Ivanovic admits that one of the downsides of the fame tennis has brought her is the loss of privacy, in particular the interest that surrounds her personal life. But, it has also provided her with opportunities she may never have otherwise had.

She cites travel and meeting people as being among some of the best gifts tennis has given her, but tennis remains her first love.

“What I love the most is competing on the court, especially at the biggest tournaments. I also feel so honoured to be able to help children in some small way, through my work with UNICEF. That’s something I take very seriously.

“I remember when I was a kid I used to look up to sportspeople, and it’s a special feeling to think that some children may be inspired to play tennis because of me.”

With the Melbourne city skyline looking on approvingly over the top of the Margaret Court Arena grandstand, Ivanovic crunched several forehands down the line.

I like the sound of that. Hopefully we will be seing a lot of that in her matches during AO too. :yeah:

And I am so happy to finally see a practice pic. There were tons everyday last year the week before AO. Been much quieter this year. But it's good to know she is in Melbourne with Sven. :)

doni1212

Jan 14th, 2010, 03:16 AM

Rafa watching, :hehehe:

bruce goose

Jan 14th, 2010, 04:22 AM

Rafa watching, :hehehe:Yeah,the horny prick....Guess he just can't face the fact that he got double-bageled by Adam Scott.That's okay,Ana looks much happier NOW then she did when she was sneaking around Mallorca with Spain's favorite semi-literate chimp(LOL X 3)

She says she want to play one match at a time instead of thinking about winning the AO and wants to play the YEC in Doha, what means she wants to re-join the top 8 this year ;)

Yeah,the horny prick....Guess he just can't face the fact that he got double-bageled by Adam Scott.That's okay,Ana looks much happier NOW then she did when she was sneaking around Mallorca with Spain's favorite semi-literate chimp(LOL X 3)

You speak with strange words bc I don't understand them,eh. You're afraid of me, eh... Hmmm I hate you :lol:

bruce goose

Jan 15th, 2010, 07:30 PM

She says she want to play one match at a time instead of thinking about winning the AO and wants to play the YEC in Doha, what means she wants to re-join the top 8 this year ;)

LAS VEGAS — Fernando Verdasco was the man bearing the weight, straining against a leg-press machine as he lifted more than 600 pounds here last month. And yet the man making the most noise was his strength and conditioning coach, Gil Reyes, who was hunched forward in front of Verdasco and bellowing in two languages (“Beauty!” “Yesss!” “Si, puedes!”) as the Spanish tennis star raised the massive 270-kilogram load not once, not twice, but 14 times until Reyes finally shouted at him to stop.

“He’s a beast,” said Reyes, looking genuinely shaken. “I stopped him because I didn’t want him to break down. If he totally maxed out today, there’s a good chance it would throw him off stride tomorrow or the next day.”

Reyes, an American who speaks in the tones and rhythms of an evangelist, was Andre Agassi’s trainer and protector for most of Agassi’s career. But after dedicating himself to one player for nearly 20 years, Reyes is now a company man: He is one of three pillars of the unusual player development program created and financed by the German sporting goods manufacturer Adidas.

The other pillars are Sven Groeneveld, a veteran Dutch coach who started the program in 2006, and Darren Cahill, an Australian coach who is the team’s latest recruit and who, along with Reyes, helped Agassi keep scaling the heights into his mid-30s until he retired with a bad back in 2006.

It is a bicontinental lineup, with Groeneveld based in Amsterdam and Reyes and Cahill in Las Vegas — Agassi’s hometown — which has become the program’s prime training base. Reyes still works out of his private weight room decorated with Agassi’s eight Grand Slam singles trophies and 1996 Olympic gold medal. Agassi is a frequent visitor and also acts occasional hitting partner and counselor for some of the Adidas players.

But the program’s scope is broader than two cities, with Groeneveld and Cahill traveling to tournaments worldwide to offer on-site assistance along with Groeneveld’s assistant, Mats Merkel, who is on the road more than half the year.

The executive who devised and still supervises the operation is Jim Latham, a former Duke University tennis player who believed that the program was a way to protect his company’s investment in increasingly young players who sometimes lacked structure and expert advice.

“It’s a compact, mobile tennis academy,” said Latham, head of global sports marketing for tennis at Adidas.

It is also a delicate diplomatic mission in a cutthroat, territorial sport unaccustomed to leading coaches’ spreading the wealth of their knowledge democratically or to manufacturers’ striving to be more than suppliers of apparel and juicy contracts.

“It’s a given that we had to have elite-level coaches,” Latham said. “But the other given for me was that it had to be people who were great communicators who could go into it with all these people and make them feel included, rather than ‘my way or the highway.”’

Manufacturer’s teams are the foundation of other sports, such as Formula One. But the Adidas developmental team remains unique in tennis, and while it is not without detractors, who question its part-time approach, it is playing an increasingly visible role in the sport and has been involved in some big hits as well as a number of misses.

The hits include Ana Ivanovic’s victory at the 2008 French Open and rise to No. 1 in the women’s rankings, and Verdasco’s surprise run to the Australian Open semifinals last year and rise into the top 10. The team, Groeneveld in particular, also provided counsel and support to Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish youngster who is coached primarily by her father and who broke into the top four last year after reaching the U.S. Open women’s final.

The misses include players like Evgeny Korolev, Anna Chakvetadze, Marcos Baghdatis and Sania Mirza whose rankings and singles careers have not prospered, despite some Adidas input. Ivanovic has also dropped out of the top 10 after a mediocre 2009 season but spent the off-season working primarily with Groeneveld.

National tennis federations, such as those in France and the United States, have long been involved in developing talent and providing coaching at the professional level. Some private academies have done the same.

But for a manufacturer to take on this role and expense is unprecedented. No other company has yet plunged in, and what also makes Adidas’s program unusual is that it does not attempt to be a full-service affair but rather a tennis consulting firm. It provides varying degrees of part-time counsel to any player, including juniors, under contract to Adidas.

There are about 75 such players, Latham said, more than 40 of whom are in the singles draws at the Australian Open, which begins Monday in Melbourne. Luminaries like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (whom Verdasco will meet in the final of the Kooyong Classic on Saturday) and Justine Henin have not sought help, but Latham estimates that “30 to 35” players have had some level of contact. That could be anything from seeking a quick tip from Groeneveld to training in Las Vegas, which requires an invitation from Latham in order to keep the numbers manageable and the company’s strategic priorities in order.

Reyes prefers to work one on one in his weight room, which means the program limits the visitors to Las Vegas to three at a time.

“If I told you the number of coaches who have contacted me about being part of this, I think you wouldn’t believe me,” Latham said.

Working with multiple players clearly reduces a coach’s vulnerability and dependency, particularly when the players are not the ones paying the salaries.

“These guys can give unsugarcoated advice,” Latham said of his team.

But the Adidas principals emphasize that their input should only supplement a player’s regular team effort and that they want top players to have full-time coaches.

“This is not about a threat, this is not about ‘better than,’ or ‘instead of,’ it’s a matter of one plus one maybe might equal three,” Latham said.

The rub is that two of the top players who have thrived most under the system, Verdasco and Ivanovic, have done so when they were without full-time coaches. Patrick Mouratoglou, who owns a prominent academy in France, said he initially tried to play a similar on-court advisory role to many players in his academy before changing his ways because he felt it undermined their relationship with their personal coaches. He now focuses on one or two players only.

“I don’t doubt the quality or competence of Sven or any member of the team,” he said. “I just think the system is flawed. I stopped doing it. At first, you feel good because everyone loves you, and you give a bit to everyone, and everybody wants you on their court giving input. It’s a drug. If you need affection, it’s amazing. If you want results, it doesn’t work.”

Cahill said he was deeply sensitive to personal coaches’ concerns but felt the benefits of exchanging thoughts and challenging preconceptions outweighed the negatives.

“If we can bring some new ideas and open their eyes to some new ways to do things and hopefully give some good direction and help on the court, then I think it’s a great thing,” he said.

Cahill certainly had other options. Early last year, he spent nine days training on a trial basis with Roger Federer in Dubai. But Cahill, who has two young children and increasingly strong ties to Las Vegas, said he was not prepared to make the travel commitment required by Federer. Instead, Cahill decided to join Adidas in March, while continuing to do television commentary and work with Agassi’s eponymous foundation in Las Vegas.

Although his television work requires him to comment frequently on Adidas players, Cahill said he did not feel that it was an ethical concern. Tennis is hardly lacking in such potential conflicts of interest. Another example is Patrick McEnroe, the longtime Davis Cup captain for the United States, who is also a television commentator.

“I never feel like I’m editing myself,” Cahill said. “I don’t care if it’s an Adidas or Australian player, I’ll give an honest take and honest view.”

Latham said the team’s existence had helped Adidas recruit several players and pointed to Daniela Hantuchova, the 26-year-old Slovakian veteran who signed on last year and trained with Cahill and Reyes in the off-season. Latham said that Andy Murray, the British star now with Adidas, has also expressed interest.

According to Latham, players are never contractually obliged to use the program, but he said he sometimes applied strong pressure when he felt the potential benefit was great, as was the case during negotiations with the struggling Baghdatis last year.

“I had probably never been as adamant with any of my contracted athletes,” Latham said.

They failed to reach agreement and Baghdatis is no longer under contract. But Verdasco is definitely still with the program, exchanging embraces and fist bumps with Reyes during his intense training and bonding sessions recently.

Reyes’s gym occupies the ground floor of a residence inside a gated community on a road named after Agassi, who had the house and court next door built for his parents. Reyes lives in the community, too, and his carpeted weight room is filled with machines he built himself. He designed them for Agassi to be tennis specific when nothing specific enough existed.

For a reporter to enter the room requires the signature of a non-disclosure agreement, because Reyes wants to protect the confidentiality of the inventions he may commercialize.

“You can’t find some of these anywhere else,” said José Verdasco, Verdasco’s father, who followed his own lifting routine as his son pushed his limits, just as he did before the Australian Open last year.

Training with Reyes intermittently over the past 15 months, Verdasco has gone from 190 pounds to approximately 210 and added muscle. But Reyes said he spends more time strengthening Verdasco’s lower body than his upper body. One of Reyes’s many mantras is, “Weak legs command, strong legs obey.”

Verdasco, he of the monumental leg presses, is clearly seeking obedience along with a second home in Las Vegas to be closer to Reyes and his weights.

“If this is the future, I don’t really know,” said Verdasco of the Adidas program. “But of course it really helped me a lot, because I really found Gil that I have this strong connection with. Maybe if Adidas took another guy, maybe I wouldn’t have that same connection, and maybe I wouldn’t like it as much.”

I`m confused
Why would you want to add more muscles to Fernando :confused:
His problem is that he is very slow

Like we always said Adidas program has good and bad sides

gaviotabr

Jan 16th, 2010, 07:04 PM

Ana's new column for the Sunday Herald Sun is up:

I'm not being drawn in to looking ahead: Ana ivanovic

* Ana Ivanovic
* From: Sunday Herald Sun
* January 17, 2010 12:00AM

TAKING part in Friday morning's draw was interesting to say the least. Not only did it throw up many intriguing first-round matches - not to mention many potentially thrilling encounters in the later rounds - but MC Bruce McAvaney kept me firmly on my toes.

"Who do you think is better looking: Maria Sharapova or Maria Kirilenko?" is not the kind of question I'm used to being asked, but you can't say he didn't make it interesting!

He also mocked me a bit for some past defeats, as we went through the women's draw and name-checked players who had inflicted some tough losses on me in the past. But it was all in good spirit and I enjoyed being part of the ceremony.

Usually I tend to avoid doing draws - I prefer not to know whom I could meet in the second round, let alone the quarter-finals. It's a waste of energy to look too far ahead.

Someone once told me a story about a male player, I forget his name, who had looked at the draw and knew he would play Pete Sampras if he won his match.

He got into a winning position and then the thought of such a big match the next day got the better of him, and it affected his play. He lost.

Tennis can be a very simple game, but it can also be very complicated.

When you introduce factors such as who you might play in future rounds, you make things more complicated than they need to be.

I can certainly say that I have been most successful in tournaments when I have just taken it match-by-match and not thought too far ahead.

The best example of that is when I won the French Open. Looking back, I was so focused on each individual match only.

I am an excitable person and it's not easy for me to do this.

In fact, when I was younger I sometimes got carried away with things when I knew I had an opportunity to go far. It didn't help.

After the women's draw was completed I left the stage to make way for John McEnroe, who was doing the men's draw.

Obviously, I'm too young to have seen him in his prime, but like everybody in tennis I know all about his incredible talent, and, of course, his famous on-court temperament.

I know that some people miss the days of McEnroe and Jimmy Connors and believe that players today should be more expressive. I have mixed feelings about it.

I think that it's important to behave well on court, to set a good example to young players, but I also think that players should be allowed to be who they really are on the court.

I always feel a lot of excitement when I arrive at a tournament location, especially Melbourne which I love so much. Now that the draw has been made and we are just a day away from starting, it can't come soon enough.